One year after the largest wildfire in Texas history hit the Panhandle, the small towns of Alanreed and McLean east of Amarillo were ordered to evacuate due to wildfires in the area.
While evacuations have since been lifted as crews engaged the fire, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported the Rest Area Fire in Gray County, near Alanreed, covering 1,000 acres at 0% containment Friday afternoon.
The Windmill Fire in Roberts County to the north spread to cover 9,000 acres in just over two hours, according to the Forest Service. That fire is moving east toward the town of Canadian, where people are still recovering from last year’s fires.
Weather and emergency officials in the Panhandle have issued warnings about zero visibility, structure collapses, downed trees and powerlines, and toppled 18-wheelers.
High winds created high fire danger and zero visibility even before TxDOT closed highways around Amarillo due to wildfires starting Friday afternoon.
The National Weather Service for the affected areas advises against driving in dust storms whenever possible.
For those who are on the road, NWS in Amarillo suggests driving slowly and with ample space between vehicles. In instances of low visibility, drivers should turn on their headlights. Drivers should keep a firm grip of their steering wheel in high winds, and keep an eye out for debris in the road and flying through the air.
Friday afternoon, Xcel Energy reported 65,000 customers without power due to powerlines down in the Panhandle, with 50-mile-an-hour sustained winds and 80-mile-an-hour gusts reported.
Xcel said the number of affected customers is expected to fluctuate as high winds are expected to continue and that due to significant damage “it may take several days to restore power to all customers.”
According to the NWS in Amarillo, the high winds and low humidity are likely to further wildfire spread and make them harder to control and contain.