Texas wildfires: At least 1 dead as large fires sweep through the state’s panhandle, including the second-largest blaze in state history

The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned nearly 900,000 acres in Texas and Oklahoma since igniting Monday, officials say. A satellite image shows Fritch, Texas in August 2023. Maxar Technologies Satellite images show homes in Fritch, Texas, before the wildfire (in August 2023), and after (on Wednesday). Maxar Technologies Satellite images show homes in Fritch, Texas, before the fire (in August 2023), and after (on Wednesday). A sudden shift of wind direction in the Texas panhandle this week contributed to the explosion in size of the Smokehouse Creek Fire.