by ALANA REYES
Devastating fires tore across the Texas Panhandle over the past month, marking one of the largest U.S. wildfires in modern history.
Named the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the blaze ignited in Stinnett, Tex., and has destroyed more than 1 million acres of farmland in northern Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott promptly issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in response. As of Wednesday, the fire was 89% contained, with two fires still raging on.
Two human lives were lost, along with at least 7,000 cattle, as the blaze swallowed countless plains and structures.
After two weeks of taming the fires, electric utility company Xcel Energy released a statement claiming their facilities “appear to have been involved in an ignition,” generating the source of the fire. But the wide spread of this devastation isn’t due only to a human mistake.
Climate change has brought about hotter and drier conditions in recent years, combining with the strong winds to increase the frequency of wildfire risk across the state.
Prior to the Smokehouse Creek Fire, cities such as nearby Amarillo hit record-breaking temperatures up to 83 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, Amarillo’s average high temperature in February is 54.
In tandem with the 70-mph winds and the overgrown vegetation from the previous wet winter, the region had the perfect conditions for fires to thrive.
“It’s not surprising to see wildfires in this area, although the rate at which this one grew and also the area it has burned so far are certainly exceptional,” said Flavio Lehner, assistant professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University. “Like a lot of grass and shrub-land fires, the wind is the key factor, driving the fire across the landscapes at speeds effectively outpacing fire suppression efforts.”
Since 1975, Texas temperatures have risen by 0.61 degrees per decade, while the relative humidity of the region has been decreasing, according to Texas state climatologist Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon.
Unfortunately, scientists don’t see a stop in the trend any time soon, with data projections predicting a significant increase in land devastated by fires. For example, Colorado is expected to see a 600% increase in areas burned by wildfire by 2050.
In Texas, nearly 85% of the state’s 12 million cattle are housed in the Panhandle, making the volatile region a significant source of agriculture. The scorched grazing land means the surviving cows may starve if harsh conditions persist.
The industry is already strained from the harsh drought that upset last year. Cattle ranchers were forced to downsize herds, resulting in higher beef prices and a national decrease in beef production.
“Cattle and crop losses are significant, and infrastructure damage is catastrophic,” said Sid Miller, commissioner for the Department of Texas Agriculture. “I know of ranchers who have lost everything. Even those Texans fortunate enough to save their herd may not have anything to return to but ashes.”
The Mainsheet 