CANADIAN, TX – Today, 11 Texas Panhandle cities announced the formation of the “Lonestar Eleven” coalition following years of negligent operations by Minnesota-based Xcel Energy, and the growing threat of preventable utility-caused wildfires in one of the most fire-prone regions of the country.
Months before the Texas Panhandle erupted with destructive wildfires, fire crews in Borger were igniting fire intentionally on a seven-mile, roughly 250-foot wide ribbon of land on the edge of town.
The prescribed burn in November removed dense grass and brush next to homes on the southwest side of the town. When the Windy Deuce fire ravaged the region in February, the prescribed burn area acted as a fireproof wall that stopped the blaze in its tracks.
Local officials gathered in Hemphill County’s 31st District Courtroom Tuesday morning for the presentation of two paintings by artist Richard Sukup, commemorating the 2024 Smokehouse Creek Wildfire which caused devastating damage to this and adjoining counties in the northeastern Panhandle.
One painting, titled Perseverance, will hang in the Hemphill County Courthouse. It was purchased by Randall County Judge Christy Dyer, and presented as a gift to this county’s residents.
Name an emotion, any emotion, and I’ll wager survivors of the largest wildfire in Texas history have experienced it over the last fourteen days. Foreboding? Yep. Disbelief? Uh huh.
Terror, anxiety, heartbreak, anger, despair, shock, relief, gratitude, guilt, love, numbness, compassion, empathy, grief? Check and double check.
Wildfires Bring Devastation To Panhandle As Firefighters Continue To Battle Multiple Fires
