Crews in the Texas Panhandle are fighting the largest wildfire in state history. The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned about 1.1 million acres and as of Monday afternoon was just 15% contained.
For context, that makes the fire larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. It stretches across Hutchinson, Roberts, and Hemphill counties – it’s even burning into western Oklahoma.
Before this one, the largest Texas wildfire was the East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 907,000 acres in 2006.
Last week, Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties impacted by wildfires and announced that FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant. That means that Texas will be eligible for 75% reimbursement from the federal government for costs associated with fighting those fires. Abbott also granted waivers for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Department of Public Safety, that temporarily waive regulations that could slow recovery efforts.
Abbott also granted waivers for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Department of Public Safety, that temporarily waive regulations that could slow recovery efforts.
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