Texas Panhandle fire danger elevates into weekend as crews work to battle largest fire in state history

Healthy winds and low humidity are forecasted for the Panhandle this weekend

The Smokehouse Creek Fire is now the largest in Texas history

As of Thursday, Feb. 29, the Smokehouse Creek Fire that ignited earlier this week north of Amarillo has grown to the largest wildfire in Texas history.

Burning more than a million acres in the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma, firefighters continue to battle the flames along with a few other fires in that area.

The area did receive a bit of rain and snow Thursday afternoon, which may have helped firefighters get a better handle on the situation. Unfortunately this won’t last long, for fire weather ramps up again into the upcoming weekend.

Wind gusts upwards of 30-35 mph are expected in that area through the remainder of the day, followed by healthy, sustained winds in the range of 20-30 mph this weekend.

Gusty winds are forecast in the Panhandle Thursday

Combine that with low humidity filtering into the region, and the fire danger will elevate even more so over the next few days.

Here’s a look at the forecast fire danger from the Texas A&M Forest Service:

Fire danger conditions are forecasted to elevate in the Panhandle this weekend

We’ll continue to keep you posted on the firefighting efforts.


About the Author
Mia Montgomery headshot

Meteorologist Mia Montgomery joined the KSAT Weather Authority Team in September 2022. As a Floresville native, Mia grew up in the San Antonio area and always knew that she wanted to return home. She previously worked as a meteorologist at KBTX in Bryan-College Station and is a fourth-generation Aggie.

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