Firefighters endangered by civilian’s drones amid Texas wildfire battle

STINNETT, Texas – Firefighters across the Texas Panhandle are continuing to attack several large wildfires that broke out across the region last week, and officials are now issuing warnings that people flying drones in the area could risk the safety of those trying to extinguish the deadly infernos.

“Firefighter and public safety are the top priorities in wildfire management,” the Texas A&M Forest Service said in a Facebook post. “Unauthorized UAS (Unstaffed Aircraft Systems, or drones) flights over or near a wildfire could cause serious injury or death to firefighters in the air and/or firefighters and members of the public on the ground.”

That warning comes as work to contain and extinguish the largest wildfire in Texas history continues.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which broke out north of the town of Stinnett, continues to rage across the region after quickly exploding in size, becoming a historic fire in a matter of days.

Progress has been made, however, in containing the blaze. As of Wednesday, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has scorched nearly 1.06 million acres and is now 37% contained.

“Yesterday, we had a good day on the fire line,” Blue Team Operations Section Chief Mike Brod said in an update on Facebook. “We continue to make good progress, taking advantage of the moderated weather conditions.”

Brod said they were able to quickly get a handle on a small fire that broke out just to the south of the Grape Vine Creek Fire, near the community of Groom.

“Our resources were able to assist local responders and catch that fire at about 30 acres,” Brod said. “So, the potential is still there. But, the weather we have right now is helping us greatly in our fire suppression efforts.”

The focus now, Brod said, was along the edge of the Smokehouse Creek Fire.

Areas of the fire have now been mapped where officials believe the fire is secure, and more resources have been placed where there is a greater risk of the fire spreading.

“We’re continuing to focus along the fire’s edge, making sure it is secure,” he said. “But we’re also looking interior because we know there are unburned pockets within this large fire perimeter, and we want to be sure those unburned pockets are secure as well. Because we know in some cases there are homes and other structures in those areas.”

The fire has so far scorched more than 1 million acres in both Texas and Oklahoma, burning more than 500 structures and killing countless livestock.

Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said that damage assessments continue, but at least 47 families have lost their homes. 

The blaze has killed at least two people.

Kidd said even with containment improving, the danger is not gone when the winds are expected to return.

“The men and women that are out there right now doing everything they can to put a perimeter around that, so as we see three different wind shifts just in today’s weather and additional fire weather coming in Thursday and Friday,” Kidd said on Wednesday. “We do not want any escape embers getting out of that and starting a new fire.”

Critical fire threat ends

This week brought some good news for the hundreds of people waging war against the wildfires as conditions have started to improve and the critical wildfire threat has eased.

A storm system moving out of the Rockies late this week could intensify over the southern Plains, allowing moisture to be pulled north into the fire-ravaged region.

Rain could then break out behind that system as it strengthens.

The FOX Forecast Center said the precipitation that could fall would be a welcome relief for those trying to extinguish the fires.

Other fires burn in Texas Panhandle

Several other fires continue to burn across the Texas Panhandle.

As of Wednesday, the Grape Vine Creek Fire is still at 60% containment and has burned 34,882 acres.

The Magenta Fire is 85% contained and has burned just under 3,300 acres.

The Windy Deuce Fire, which has burned 144,206 acres, is 55% contained.

There was another fire called the 687 Reamer Fire, which was absorbed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire last week.