An 83-year-old grandmother has been identified as the first victim of the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas.
Joyce Blankenship lived in the Scotts Acres neighborhood and her body was found in Stinnett, Hutchinson County Public Engagement Coordinator Deidra Thomas said in a statement Wednesday.
Blankenship is the first death reported in the wildfires that have devastated more than 1 million acres as of Wednesday night.
Since it started Monday, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has spread to become the second-largest wildfire on record in the Lone Star State, with 850,000 acres burned.
Wildfires raging in the Texas Panhandle have led to evacuations, power outages and the temporary closure of a nuclear weapons facility.
Joyce Blankenship, 83 (right) lived in the Scotts Acres neighborhood and her body was found in Stinnett.
The grandmother has been identified as the first victim of Texas’ Smokehouse Creek Fire.
Since it began Monday, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has devastated 850,000 acres to become the second-largest wildfire on record in the Lone Star State.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in response to the wildfires.
“Texans are urged to limit activities that could generate sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe,” Abbott said.
More than 5,400 people in Texas were without power Wednesday morning.
The Pantex plant, the country’s main facility that assembles and dismantles the US nuclear arsenal, had evacuated most of its staff Tuesday night as fires raged out of control near its facilities.
Earlier Wednesday, Pantex tweeted that the facility “is open for normal day shift operations” and that all staff were required to report to work according to their assigned schedule.
Dozens of cattle have also died, as devastating video footage revealed livestock burned to death following fires that swept across Texas.
A video shows the scattered carcasses of livestock that perished due to the flames, which spread at an average speed of 150 football fields per minute.
Ranch workers ran out of time to evacuate their livestock as the fire approached, Katlyn Butler, whose husband works at Turkey Track Ranch, told CNN..
“Houses have been burned in almost every direction,” Hemphill County Judge Lisa Johnson told local newspaper The Canadian Record.
Wind gusts of up to 60 mph, dry conditions and unusually warm temperatures have fueled the fires.
Flames from the Smokehouse Creek Fire have spread at an average rate of 150 football fields per minute. Pictured are remains of plants burned by the Smokehouse Creek Fire.
Aerial image shows damage after Texas wildfires
Smoke rises from burning hay bales outside the town of Canadian, Texas, on Wednesday.
The remains of a burned house smolder in Canadian, Texas, on Wednesday
“We cut the fences and unfortunately we had to leave because the firefighters had to go save communities,” he told the outlet.
‘We have lost cattle. “I’m not sure what he’s alive and what he’s not,” Butler told CNN.
“The Smokehouse Creek Fire is being fueled by southwest winds up to 60 mph and is rapidly spreading east-northeast toward the town of Canadian in Texas.” AccuWeather said severe weather expert Guy Pearson.
Gusty winds, dry conditions and unusually warm temperatures have fueled the fires.
The Grape Vine Creek Fire has reached 30,000 acres, the Reamer Fire has burned 2,000 acres, the Windy Deuce Fire has burned 40,000 acres and the Magenta Fire has burned 2,000 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Evacuations were ordered in Skellytown, Wheeler, Allison and Briscoe, according to the National Weather Service in Amarillo.
The Canadian Independent School District canceled classes on Wednesday.
“Houses have been burned in almost every direction,” Hemphill County Judge Lisa Johnson told the local newspaper. The Canadian record.
A cow that died in the Smokehouse Creek wildfire lies on a cattle guard outside Canadian, Texas.
Ranch workers ran out of time to evacuate their livestock as the fire approached.
Texas wildfires have collectively burned more than 1 million acres
Devastating videos show cattle burned alive after wildfires ravage Texas
One person has been confirmed dead and dozens of cattle have also died, as devastating video footage shows cattle burned to death following wildfires ravaging Texas.
Randall, Potter counties and the city of Amarillo had declared a state of local disaster, according to the Amarillo Area Emergency Management Office.
The Hansford County Office of Emergency Management said on Facebook: “Structures and homes lost in Hemphill County inside and outside of Canada.”
“Multiple areas in and around Fritch were evacuated and several homes were lost to the fires.”
The weather forecast gave some hope to firefighters, with cooler temperatures, less wind and possibly rain on Thursday.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Dan DePodwin said, “Wednesday’s winds are expected to be 10 to 20 mph, which is much calmer than Tuesday.” This should assist firefighting efforts.’