As the blustery conditions of early spring continue, so do the dry conditions prompting wildfires across the Texas Panhandle.
While Eastern Texas Panhandle fire departments battled a fire near the junction of U.S. Highway 83 and U.S. Highway 60 near Canadian, Pampa-area fire departments (including Pampa Fire Department and Hoover Volunteer Fire Department) battled a blaze south of town near County Roads I & J.
The fire in the area started around 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, leading to the evacuation of nearby Bowers City.
County Judge Chris Porter said the fire was contained and put out by 10:30 p.m.
“We were waiting on the wind shift,” Porter said. “Everything stopped burning and we wanted to see what happened with the wind shift. We left deputies out there to monitor it for about an hour after the wind shift.”
The fire Tuesday burned 575 acres from County Road 6 and County Road I continuing east along County Road I, jumping Texas Highway 70 and continuing to Farm-to-Market 749.
At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the fire sparked and as firefighters battled it and they it put out, until another hot-spot started near County Road J around noon.
“We had all of the hot-spots put out and then about 11:45 a.m. had another hot spot,” Porter said.
There were no loss of life in the blaze, but three uninhabited houses were lost Tuesday, two structures (one unoccupied, one occupied) Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon there were two unoccupied structures lost (a barn and a greenhouse).
There have been, however, a substantial hit to equipment.
Fire crews were still battling the latest flare up by press time.
