By Allison Hogue
North of Terry County, about 200 miles the Texas Plains have been hit with a remarkably unrelenting fire that has done substantial damage to the towns of Canadian, Fritch, Pampa, and parts of Northern Amarillo. This has already been recorded as the second-largest wildfire in Texas history. Many have lost their homes, precious belongings, and livestock due to the fire.
Though there are three disconnected fires, the largest one has been dubbed Smokehouse Creek Fire, and has claimed 850,000 acres, which has been estimated to move as fast as a football field per minute. The 60 mph winds we all felt across the Panhandle only added to the damage, as they switched from moving West to moving North with a cold front. Terry County could definitely see the haze and smell the smoke in the early hours of the morning.
What Does this State Disaster Mean for Terry County?
Even a wildfire 200 miles away can have an affect on this area. The air quality can be greatly effected if it continues to be out of control. As of now, Terry County is safe, air quality has been stabled into good conditions, as per the Air Quality Index (AQI). That smokey smell and familiar brown dust we’ve seen in the air is nothing to worry about this far South.Brownfield may be affected in a way that is not as suspecting because the wildfire is so far away, but it would play an important role in the future of Terry County.
Brownfield may be affected in a way that is not as suspecting because the wildfire is so far away, but it would play an important role in the future of Terry County. The City of Brownfield is a part of the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, otherwise known as CRMWA. The CRMWA supplies water from the Canadian River with direct pipelines from the headquarters, which is at the Sanford Dam, about 37 miles north of Amarillo. While the Brownfield well was untouched, as the fire was about 25 miles South of it, there are still possible effects we can see from this happening in the future.
Though the vegetation may have been sparse before, now with totally bare ground, the water may be affected, by pollutants and debris that is otherwise filtered out by what little greenery was there before. Erosion is also likely for that area and not ideal as it can increase the speed of sedimentation and toxicants that enter crucial water resources.
However, do not fret, as this is something that would take place over many years, and there would be ample time for authorities to create a plan in moving forward to provide safe drinking water for citizens. A great disaster for one area of
the Panhandle is a heavyweight and an even harder pill to swallow when we see just how it can affect other regions of the state. Though us Texans have grit, and the people of the Panhandle are already proving that to be true.
