SMOKEHOUSE CREEK FIRE (FORMERLY HUTCHINSON 0317 FIRE)

Sit Rep 4: Thursday, March 1, 2024, PM Update

Photo Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service

INCIDENT SUMMARY

At about 1420 hours CST in the afternoon on Monday, February 26, 2024, a wildfire broke out one mile north of Sinnett and Amarillo and east of Hwy 207 in Hutchinson County, Texas.

CURRENT STATUS

Currently, the fire has burned 1,078,086 acres and fire crews have reached a 15% containment status. Originally on Day 1 when the fire broke out, it was reported at a whopping 40,000 acres and quickly had a high rate of spread across the state.

According to the Fire Operations Sector, Engine crews will continue to strengthen control lines and mop-up along the perimeter of the fire. Seven dozers will assist ground personnel and continue to construct fire lines where needed. Primary efforts are holding the lines on the north perimeter of the fire as southwest winds may push any growth to the northeast.

The Smokehouse Fire is the largest burning in the state and in the State of Texas Fire history, ever.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Photo Credit: Red Oak Fire Rescue

  • Over 100 homes have been destroyed (Texas).

RESOURCES

The Southern Area Blue, Complex Incident Management (CIMT) assumed command on Friday, March 1, 2024, at 0600 hours CST.

There is a total of 108 personnel assigned to this incident along with 29 engines and seven (7) dozers.

Photo Credit: Lubbock Fire Rescue

Unified Command currently includes TX A&M Forest Service and local Fire Agencies.

Incident Cooperators include the following from both States of Texas and Oklahoma.

TEXAS

Fire & EMS

  • Snyder Volunteer Fire Department
  • Perryton Fire EMS
  • Greenville Fire Department
  • Spring Fire Department
  • Elk City Fire & EMS
  • Midland TX Fire Department – 2 members, Engineer Kyle Earhart and Capt. Cody Quintana
  • Odessa Fire Department – one member
  • Porter Fire Department – two members
  • New Waverly Fire Department – two members
  • South Montgomery County Fire Department
  • Red Oak Fire & Rescue
  • Fort Worth Fire Department – 15 members
  • City of Hewitt Fire Department
  • DeStoro Fire Rescue
  • Grand Prairie Fire Department
  • Columbus Volunteer Fire Department
  • Bowman Volunteer Fire Department
  • Lubbock Fire Rescue
  • Forest Bend Fire Department
  • TIFMAS – 5 members
  • TX Task Force 1 and 2
  • Flower Mound FD – 3 members with Wildland Team / State brush truck, Strike Team
  • Forest Bend Fire Department – Several members deployed
  • Austin Fire Department
  • West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department
  • East Montgomery County Fire Department – Eight (8) members plus five (5) Apparatus 301 Command, 314 (sUAS Response Unit/Command, 312 (Tender staffed with 2, 317 (Type 4 Brush with 5 and 343 (Type 2 Engine with 2 members), along with being assigned as a Strike Team. Additionally, they had Air 1 and 2, drones in partnership with Drone Sense that helped monitor the location of their personnel and streamlined live back to the EOC center and to the IC.
  • Monahans Volunteer Fire Department
  • Gardendale Volunteer Fire Department – two members
  • Western Fire Resources
  • Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services
  • Hamilton County EMS
  • CATRAC
  • Red Oak Fire Rescue
  • Fritch Volunteer Fire Department
  • Ennis Texas Fire Department
  • Booker Fire Department

Other Incident Cooperators

  • TX Parks & Wildfire
  • TX Storm Chasers
  • TX Division of Emergency Management – Website: https://www.ready.gov/wildfires#during
  • TX Governor’s Office, Gov. Greg Abbott
  • Senator Kevin Sparks
  • Mark Keough County Judge
  • Team Rubicon
  • Red Cross Disaster Relief

Photo Credit: Austin-Travis County EMS

OKLAHOMA

Fire & EMS

  • Oklahoma State University
  • Oklahoma State University Disaster Assistance Response Team

Other Incident Cooperators

  • Red Cross Disaster Relief
  • Plains Cotton Growers Inc.

Photo Credit: East Montgomery County Fire Department (TX)

INCIDENT TIMELINE

Photo Credit: Elk City Fire & EMS (TX)

2/26/2024, Monday (Day 1)

  • Fire breaks out, listed at 40,000 acres, 0% contained in the Texas Panhandle.
  • The State’s Wildland Fire Preparedness Level increases to Level 2 due to an increase in current and expected wildfire activity.

Photo Credit: FOX News

This gives perspective on where all wildfires are located in the State of Texas.

2/27/2024, Tuesday (Day 2)

  • Winds and fire behavior increased, fire is now at 200,000 acres. 0% containment status.
  • 63 Texas counties have burn bans in effect.
  • Gov. Greg Abbott issues a Disaster Declaration for Texas Wildfires for 60 counties.

2/28/2024, Wednesday (Day 3)

  • Winds increase and have been throughout the morning. They will continue until Thursday.
  • Fire burns through 500,000 acres and still remains at a 0% containment status.
  • It becomes the second-largest wildfire in the State of Texas fire history.

Photo Credit: Booker Fire Department

2/29/2024, Thursday (Day 4)

  • A wildfire burns about 850,000 acres and is listed at a 3% containment status.
  • Listed as the second-largest wildfire in the State of Texas fire history.

3/1/2024, Friday (Day 5)

  • Fire impacts over one (1) Million acres.
  • Fire originated in Texas, and has now spread into several areas inside the State of Oklahoma.
  • The REAMER FIRE merges into the SMOKEHOUSE FIRE.
  • There are 64 counties currently under a burn ban.
  • The SMOKEHOUSE FIRE is the largest of four active wildfires burning in the State.
  • Three other wildfires are actively burning in the state including GRAPE VINE CREEK FIRE, WIND DEUCE FIRE, and MAGENTA FIRE.
  • JASPER FIRE 0357 FIRE (newest fire) has a 100% containment status burning five (5) acres.

Photo Credit: Spring Fire Department

Firefighters patrol their Divisions to make sure hot spots are put out in their assigned areas.

THROUGH THE EYES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

  • LOCAL MEDIA: Fire in the Panhandle grows larger than the massive Bastrop Complex Fire that hit the Central area in 2011.
  • WEATHER: Fire has killed two people and is now bigger than the State of Rhode Island (USA).
  • LOCAL MEDIA: This is one of the most destructive fires in State History.
  • WEATHER Social Media: Fire has exploded to over a million acres within the last 48 hours, roughly 780 square miles.
  • LOCAL BUSINESSMAN: “Hey Texas and Oklahoma: You think this biggest fire in Texas History is natural or should we just go back to drilling and fracking?”
  • BUSINESSMAN: “Is it just a coincidence that these wildfires align pretty well with the location of some of the largest wind farms in Texas?”
  • DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF: “Imagine a wildfire consuming 150 football fields per minute…”
  • NOT VERIFIED: Up to 500 structures were destroyed.

Photo Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service

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