FRITCH, Texas (NewsNation) — The largest wildfire in Texas history has killed two people and left behind a desolate landscape of scorched prairie, dead cattle and burned-out homes in the Texas Panhandle.
Cindy Owen was driving in Texas’ Hemphill County south of the town of Canadian on Tuesday afternoon when she encountered fire or smoke, said Sgt. Chris Ray of the Texas Department of Public Safety. She got out of her truck and became trapped by flames.
A passerby found Owen and called first responders, who took her to a burn unit in Oklahoma. She died Thursday morning, Ray said.
The other victim, an 83-year-old woman, was identified by family members as Joyce Blankenship, a former substitute teacher. Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said deputies told his uncle Wednesday they had found Blankenship’s remains in her burned home.
Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to arrive in the town of Fritch at noon to assess the damage and provide the latest update alongside his team.
In Stinnett, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, now the largest in Texas state history, is only 5% contained — up from 3% Thursday — scorching over a million acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The second largest fire, known as the “Windy Deuce,” has consumed over 140,000 acres and is 50% contained.
NewsNation witnessed fire crews tending to hot spots to reduce the risk of embers igniting further. Thursday’s forecast, which included snow, rain, and sleet for several hours, helped minimize smoke and flames.
Stinnett’s destruction was a reminder that even as snow fell Thursday and helped firefighters, crews are racing to stamp out the blaze ahead of increased temperatures and winds forecast in the coming days.
Forestry officials remain uncertain about the possibility of the fires, particularly the Smokehouse Creek Fire, reigniting and breaching containment lines.
NewsNation spoke to Sandye Killebrew, who lost much of her ranch in the fires earlier this week. She said beyond the emotional toll on pride and property, many in the community are still searching for missing horses and cattle.
“Well, we’ll just count on one another. Someone will put food on your porch, somebody will take you where you need to go. We can go to a church and get a shower if we need it. We just believe God will take care of us,” Killebrew said.
Authorities have not said what ignited the fires, but strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed them.
Authorities said 1,640 square miles of the fire were on the Texas side of the border with Oklahoma. Previously, the largest fire in recorded state history was the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 1,400 square miles and resulted in 13 deaths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
