What is the name and location of the wildfires?

On Friday, March 1, 2024, several wildfires burned across the Texas Panhandle and in Oklahoma, not far from Amarillo (1)(2)(3). Four of the wildfires were of significant size and intensity.

The largest fire, the Smokehouse Creek fire, had grown to 1,050,000 acres in Texas and 25,000 acres in Oklahoma size on Thursday (4). Having doubled in size in a day, the fire became the largest in the state's recorded history and the second-largest wildfire in U.S. history (5).

40 homes were lost in the vicinity of Canadian, Texas (6). One person had died.

Which cities or areas are affected by the wildfires?

There are four fires affecting various parts of the Texas panhandle and harming the air quality in those areas.

Cites most impacted include:

• Borger
• Claude
• Lake Meredith
• Lefors
• Masterson
• Pampa
• Stinnett

The fires are burning in and affecting Armstrong, Claude, Hutchison, Gray, and Wheeler Counties.

Smoke could impact cities as far away as Lubbock, Abilene, Midland, and El Paso.

What is the current containment status of the wildfires?

Two of the three fires were partially uncontained on Friday.

Fire containment in Texas varied:

• Smokehouse Creek Fire: 15%
• Windy Deuce Fire: 50%
• Grape Vine Creek Fire: 60%

A fourth fire, the Juliette Pass Fire, had been at 90% contained on Tuesday.

Are there any evacuation orders or alerts in places?

Wheeler County officials issued warnings for the Grape Vine Creek Fire, but evacuations have not been required yet.

On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties, citing concerns about wildfire risk in the Panhandle, South Plains, East Texas, Texoma, and Permian Basin regions (7).

How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?

Always plan ahead to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.

• Get a free air quality app for real-time air quality alerts and forecasts.
• Shut doors and windows and set the HVAC to recirculate mode.
• Run a high-performance air purifier to filter wildfire smoke.
• Contribute to your community’s outdoor air quality.
• Stay indoors; if you do need to go outdoors, wear a KN95/FFP2 mask.