Texas Panhandle

The Smokehouse Creek fire tore through the Texas Panhandle early last year, burning over a million acres in just weeks. In the small town of Canadian, where the devastation was severe, residents say the heartbreak lingers and a full recovery could take years.

Amid dangerous weather conditions, 65,000 Xcel Energy customers are without power and several wildfires burn in the Texas Panhandle. While collapsed structures and zero visibility affect drivers and residents across the region.

Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, who was elected in November to represent District 115 in the Texas House, was born in Hereford and for most of her life has lived in Texas.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire burned over a million acres, and recovery is ongoing.

A lack of air support and ineffective coordination hurt efforts to contain this year's Panhandle fires, the committee said.

The Smokehouse Creek fire was the largest wildfire in Texas History burning over a million acres in the Panhandle. The fire has been out for over a month, but the disaster continues. We are going to get an update on the recovery and what needs to happen to prevent other massive wildfires.

At least $102 million dollars. That’s just an initial estimate of the hit Panhandle ranchers took after an outbreak of wildfires in late February — including the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest in state history. Over three days this week, a panel of state lawmakers heard first-hand accounts from affected ranchers and investigators exploring the fire’s origins.

The Smokehouse Creek fire began on Feb. 26 due to a downed electricity pole. The blaze consumed over a million acres, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history. On Thursday, a representative from Xcel Energy's Southwestern Public Service Company testified before a Texas House committee charged with investigating the Panhandle wildfires.

After more than a week of destruction, including thousands of dead livestock and hundreds of lost structures, firefighters now have two of the largest Texas Panhandle wildfires more under control.

Two people and tens of thousands of cattle have died in the largest wildfire in state history.