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PANHANDLE (WBAP/KLIF News ) – After almost three weeks of burning, the largest wildfire in state history is now 100 % contained as of Saturday.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire along with a series of other wildfires scorched more than 1 million acres, destroyed hundreds of structures, killed two people along with thousands of livestock.
The Hutchinson County United Way’s Julie Winter said recovery will take years and added that the blaze tore through the area’s most vulnerable population.
“Unfortunately, this went through a neighborhood of a lower socioeconomic group in our community. Probably the majority of them will be uninsured a few will be under insured,” she said.
The development comes as relief efforts continue.
The U.S. Small Business Administration recently approved disaster loans for the families impacted by the fires.
The SBA set up disaster loan outreach centers in Canadian and Borger.
The Department of Agriculture, the Texas Farm Bureau, the Hutchinson County United Way and other local groups are helping to get supplies to ranchers and farmers as well as local homeowners who lost everything.
Officials believe the fire was started by power lines, lawsuits are pending. The utility company, Xcel Energy, admitted that some of their equipment may have played a role.
Amid investigations into the fire’s cause, a Texas House committee is also looking into how the blazes got started as well as the response.
In addition to the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the Texas A&M Forest Service said the Windy Duece Fire, which scorched more than 144,000 acres is also 100% contained.
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