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Deadly Texas Wildfires Scorch Over 1 Million Acres, Kill Thousands of Livestock, Destroy Crops

Deadly Texas Wildfires Scorch Over 1 Million Acres, Kill Thousands of Livestock, Destroy Crops

The deadly Texas wildfires have scorched over 1 million acres, killed thousands of livestock and destroyed crops.

Ranches have burned, highways are shut down and thousands have been evacuated.

As of this weekend, the fire is only 15% contained.

Massive wildfires engulfed parts of the Texas panhandle this week amid gusty winds and unseasonably warm weather.

At least two women have died in the fires, the AP reported.

Birdseye view of the Smokehouse Creek fire damage:

The number of cattle killed in the wildfires in not known at this time.

The Texas Tribune reported:

The largest wildfire in Texas history has devastated the state’s agriculture, blazing through more than 1 million acres of land in the Panhandle, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and gutting infrastructure.

The agriculture industry, a big driver of the state’s economy, was already facing pressures from prolonged and widespread drought that forced ranchers to manage smaller herds, contributing to a decrease in beef production nationally. The series of wildfires in the Panhandle this week is another blow as many ranchers tried to rebuild their herds and operations during the cooler months of the year.

Over 85% of the state’s cattle population is located on ranches in the Panhandle, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture. In 2021, agriculture accounted for 9% of Texas’ gross state product, adding $186.1 billion to the state’s economy, according to Texas A&M’s Agrilife Extension report.

While numbers on how many cattle were lost in the fires are unknown, experts say ranchers will face significant economic pressure from the damage.

Governor Greg Abbott (R) said he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional emergency response resources as Texas responds to wildfires impacting the Panhandle.

The post Deadly Texas Wildfires Scorch Over 1 Million Acres, Kill Thousands of Livestock, Destroy Crops appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Cristina Laila