Students fill buses with supplies for Texas Panhandle wildfire victims
FORT WORTH, Texas - Firefighters are finally making some good progress getting wildfires in the Texas Panhandle under control. And efforts to provide help to the area are picking up in North Texas.
The volleyball team at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Worth has been collecting donations since Saturday.
On Thursday, they will pack two buses full of items like food, water, baby supplies, and hygiene supplies.
The team will take them to the town of Borger, which is about 50 miles northeast of Amarillo.
That’s close to where the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest fire in state history, has claimed structures and homes in the cities of Canadian and Fritch.
"They're overwhelmed with just even the notion of this getting started. But when we told them how much we had and that the girls were coming, he said the room was filled with tears. That the need is dire and the things we're bringing are relevant to what their needs are," said Hollie Huston, Fossil Ridge’s head volleyball coach.
This all comes as the fires are becoming more controllable.
Currently, only three active fires are burning in the area.
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The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which has burned more than 1 million acres and is responsible for at least two deaths, is now 44% contained.
The two smaller fires are both about 80% under control.
Fire crews have the weather on their side over the next few days with cooler temps and chances of rain.