China News Service, Houston, February 29 (Xinhua) According to US media reports on the 29th local time, the "Smokehouse Creek Fire" that started burning in northern Texas on the 26th has grown into the largest wildfire in the history of the state, causing at least 2 People die.
According to the Associated Press report on the 29th, the "Smokehouse Creek Fire" has spread to nearly 4,400 square kilometers, and most of the burned land is located in an area called the "Texas Panhandle" in northern Texas.
According to the Oklahoma Forestry Department, as of the evening of the 29th, the "Smoky House Creek Fire" had burned more than 127 square kilometers of land in the state.
Currently, the "Smokehouse Creek Fire" has become the largest wildfire in Texas history, with only 3% of the fire under control.
Previously, the largest fire recorded in Texas history occurred in 2006, which affected an area of approximately 3,630 square kilometers and resulted in a total of 13 deaths.
CNN reported that the "Smokehouse Creek Fire" killed one person each in Hemphill County and Hutchinson County, Texas.
NBC reported that a spokesman for the city of Pampa, Texas, said that two local firefighters were injured while putting out the fire.
The two people were discharged from hospital on the morning of the 27th and are still recovering.
In Hemphill County, Texas, the hardest-hit area, more than 1,600 square kilometers of land were hit by fires, dozens of houses were destroyed, and thousands of cattle died.
Texas agriculture officials say more than 85% of the state’s cattle live in the “Texas Panhandle.”
Dry and windy conditions are likely to accelerate the spread of fires in the coming days.
U.S. President Biden said on the 29th that 500 federal workers have been deployed to the "Texas Panhandle" and more personnel will be sent to the disaster area.
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