New Texas Panhandle wildfire forces evacuations over the weekend
SANFORD, Texas - The wildfires in the Texas Panhandle forced another town to evacuate over the weekend.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in state history, is still only 15% contained. And strong weekend winds spread the flames even more.
Firefighters have made some progress containing other fires, though. Three smaller fires burning in the area are more than halfway under control.
But a new wildfire popped up Sunday called the Roughneck Fire. It prompted the evacuation of Sanford, a town with about 100 residents.
That fire is 25% contained now and crews believe it’s stopped progressing. They allowed people to go back home.
"This is a double-edged sword. It’s good news that we’ve got a little burn scarring around that area. It’s just kind of unfortunate that it scared the life out of everybody again tonight," said Deidra Thomas, the Hutchinson County public engagement coordinator.
Emergency crews cut power during the evacuations, so residents were likely in the dark when they returned.
Meanwhile, the support from North Texans continued.
About 60 volunteers with the Texas Baptist Men set up in the town of Fritch, which is about 7 miles south of Sanford.
People send supplies to help those impacted by wildfires
People in the Texas Panhandle are in need of basic necessities, like water and food, as they deal with wildfires, but they also need items for livestock, like hay and feed. Across North Texas, people are answering the call to help and sending supplies to those in need.
They handed out boxes for people to collect their possessions in and provide shower and laundry areas.
Again, weather has played a huge part in the growth of these fires.
And with less wind and cooler temperatures moving back in, crews are hoping to get them more under control as the week goes on.