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Tag: Smokehouse Creek Fire

  • ‘The worst feeling I’ve ever had on a fire:’ Texas Panhandle firefighter loses home while saving others

    ‘The worst feeling I’ve ever had on a fire:’ Texas Panhandle firefighter loses home while saving others

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    STINNETT, Texas – A firefighter in the Texas Panhandle came home to find his house engulfed in flames by the same fire he’s fighting.

    Charles Clark left work Tuesday afternoon after hearing that the fire was headed towards his home.

    By the time he got home, it was already too late.

    “The back of my house was already on fire,” Clark said.

    He could’ve done what a lot of people would do: sit and watch his life burn in front of his own eyes.

    Instead, he did what he’s trained to do. Not put out fires, but keep the fire from spreading to his neighbors.

    Thanks to his work and the work of his fellow volunteer firefighters in Stinnett, they saved several homes—including his next-door neighbor.

    “It’s a decision that wasn’t an easy one to make, but it was the right decision,” Clark said. “My house was not savable. Everything in this house can be replaced.”

    Gage: “That says a heck of a lot about somebody.”

    Charles: “I’ve heard that a lot here recently as well. I’ve been told, you know, by several people, that what [I] did was heroic. I don’t see it that way. It was extremely difficult to walk away from my house, but also knew that if we tried to do something to save my house, that my neighbor’s house might burn.”

    Roughly a half dozen homes burned in his community, including the home of Joyce Blankenship, who died in the fire.

    The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

    Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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    Gage Goulding

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  • Why today is critical in the fight against largest wildfire in Texas history

    Why today is critical in the fight against largest wildfire in Texas history

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    FRITCH, Texas – The largest wildfire ever to burn in the State of Texas continues its path of destruction across the Texas Panhandle.

    The Smokehouse Creek Fire is one of four wildfires that have consumed a collective 1,249,500 acres of land.

    Rain, snow and frigid temperatures on Thursday helped firefighters play catch up against the fire that’s been nearly unstoppable up until this point.

    “The precipitation is helping us out. It’s keeping that fire at bay,” said Houston Fire Department Captain Beau Moreno. “A lot of the time, the heat is so intense that you can’t get close enough to even put some water on it. The snow is actually helping us. I didn’t expect to come from Houston, Texas and fight fire in the snow.”

    As of Friday morning, the Smokehouse Creek Fire remains just 5% contained.

    Now, all eyes are on the weather – which could make or break firefighter’s efforts to contain the fire.

    Forecasts call for highs in the 70s, which will only dry up the land that just received much-needed precipitation.

    On top of that, wind will increase and relative humidity values will drop. Both are bad news for firefighters, who traveled from across the state, to try and help save these communities.

    “Right now, we need to make sure that the fire is completely out,” Cpt. Moreno told KPRC2 on Thursday. “It’s a bad situation, and we don’t want to make the situation worse by not hitting these spots right here that you see still burning.”

    The Texas A&M Forest Service is predicting a high wildfire danger on Friday. That risk increases to very high for the entire Texas Panhandle on Saturday and Sunday.

    The National Weather Service in Amarillo predicts critical fire weather to return this weekend, creating a prime condition for wildfires to flourish.

    A Fire Weather Watch has been issued beginning 12 p.m. on Saturday and running through midnight on Monday. The National Weather Service says a Red Flag Threat will be present throughout the weekend as well.

    Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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    Gage Goulding

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