Farmers and ranchers in the Texas Panhandle have started their recovery from wildfires this spring, but they say the process could take years. The Smokehouse Creek Fire started in February and grew to the biggest in state history burning more than 1 million acres.
This week, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller visited farmers and ranchers affected by the fire. They said their recovery would take time because so much land for crops was destroyed and because they lost so many cattle.
The agriculture department's early estimates suggested ranchers lost 7,000 head of cattle, but the department now says the number could top 10,000 as ranchers are still deciding whether to euthanize animals that may have breathing problems, burnt hooves, or other injuries. They said a true total may not be available until later this spring.
Miller said Texas is "not out of the woods" for additional wildfires, either. He said peak fire season runs from February through the end of May.
The U.S. Drought Monitor releases weekly reports on Thursday. In the current update, 47% of Texas is "abnormally dry" or in some stage of drought, up from 45% last week. When the Smokehouse Creek Fire started on February 26, 43% of Texas was drier than average.
Miller said a relief fund started by the Texas Department of Agriculture has raised more than a million dollars. The fund is still taking donations online. Miller said 100% of the money raised will go to farmers and ranchers to replace fencing.
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