Wildfire — Wheeler, Texas

2024-03-01 to 2024-03-17 · Wheeler, Texas

Event narrative

Estimated containment via incident update reports. Estimated Acres burned with the use of GIS mapping data is 5,319.

Wider weather episode

At approximately 2:20 pm on February 26, 2024, Texas A&M Forest Service received a request for assistance for a wildfire in Hutchinson County. Texas A&M Forest Service crews are working in unified command with local resources. The fire ignited one mile north of Sinnett, Texas and east of Highway 207, with initial fire behavior reported as extremely active in tall grasses due to high winds and low relative humidity. Winds gusting over 40- 50 mph pushed the fire east from Highway 207 approximately 30 miles to Highway 70 north of Pampa, Texas. This fire (Smokehouse Creek Fire) would go on to burn 1,054,153 acres and the estimated cost is around $5,800,000. The total acreage expanded across 5 other counties. Roberts, Hemphill, Carson Gray, and Wheeler.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1205848. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.