High winds stirred up fires and dust on Monday around Amarillo and the Panhandle, prompting warnings and new alerts.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said the Stinky Fire, which was originally an estimated five acres, is now around 500 acres with no containment.
A mandatory evacuation and fire warning was issued for the neighborhoods near the fire at the Amarillo city landfill, which was closed early for high winds. RM 1061 (Tascosa Road) is closed from State Loop 335 to FM 2381 (Bushland Road) due to the fire, according to TxDOT. Several homes and structures in the area were engulfed in flames, with others threatened.
A new fire warning was issued at 4:56 p.m., saying the fire is moving rapidly northeast, at 5 to 10 mph. “A dangerous wildfire was located six miles northeast of Bushland, or nine miles northwest of Amarillo,” with areas impacted including Bishop Hills, Wildcat Bluff and other locations northeast of Tascosa Road.
The Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is also evacuating animals and staff, the center said around 4:56 p.m. Stephanie Brady said in an update that almost all of the center’s animals had been safely moved to the zoo.
Evacuations near Amarillo landfill, new fire warning
The Amarillo Office of Emergency Management said a mandatory evacuation was effective immediately Monday, May 18 for Bishop Estates, Two Deer Creek, Eagle Tree, Quail Canyon, Bishop Ranches, Alta Vista Estates, Dripping Springs, and Silver Pointe, and the immediate surrounding areas due to wildfire. The evacuation was originally voluntary but was upgraded due to the spread of the fire.
The Church at Bushland, located at 1800 S FM 2381 in Amarillo, is currently accepting evacuees needing shelter assistance.
A voluntary evacuation was also issued for the Bishop Hills area. The Potter County Sheriff’s Office said shelter is available the Church at Quail Creek as well. The fire has crossed Rim Ranch road.
“This order is effective until further notice. Leave now and follow directions from emergency personnel. Roads may be blocked or congested, so plan your route accordingly,” Amarillo OEM said. “Residents in affected areas should gather medications, important documents, pets, and essential items now in case mandatory evacuation becomes necessary. Please avoid the area to allow emergency crews to operate safely and efficiently.”
Due to wildfire conditions in the area, Xcel Energy has made the decision to temporarily shut off power to the following neighborhoods as a safety precaution: Bishop Hills, Bishop Estates and Tascosa Hills.
The NWS said in the first fire warning that at 3:41 p.m., a dangerous wildfire was located four miles northeast of Bushland, or nine miles west of Amarillo, moving rapidly northeast at 3 to 5 mph. Areas impacted include around the Amarillo city landfill primarily south of Tascosa Road, including Bishop Estates.
The warning was issued at the request of the Amarillo OEM for southern Potter County, and smoke and fire will present a threat to life and property.
Dust storm warning for I-27 area
A dust storm warning was issued for central Randall County in the Texas Panhandle on Monday afternoon, May 18. Areas impacted are around the city of Canyon and south to southwest, especially near the Hunggate Fire burn scar.
Due to high winds causing near-zero visibility in Randall County, the Texas Department of Public Safety has closed the northbound and southbound lanes of FM 1714 from FM 1705 to Arnot Road until 6 p.m.,” the Randall County Sheriff’s Office said. “Please use caution and seek alternative routes.” The sheriff’s office also said to avoid the area near FM 168 between Haley Road and Jowell Road.
“Due to strong southwesterly winds, a column of dust and ash is getting kicked up from the Hunggate burn scar and impacting portions of Potter and Randall county. The main impacts are expected to be in Canyon, Amarillo, and I-27 between the two cities. Use caution when having to drive through low visibility areas,” the National Weather Service Amarillo office said in an update.
The warning says the warning is for until 5:15 p.m. NWS said at 3:21 p.m., a dust channel was over Canyon, moving northeast at 10 mph. The dust is making travel very hazardous, with visibility at near zero and strong wind in excess of 50 mph.
“Dust storms lead to dangerous driving conditions with visibility reduced to near zero. If driving, avoid dust storms if possible. If caught in one, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake,” the warning says.
Other fires active near Kress
Another fire started north of Plainview near Kress off I-27. Evacuations are underway in Kress, and U.S. 87 from Tulia to Kress was closed. The city said buses were running from the school to Claytonville. According to the Forest Service, the fire was an estimated 1,000 acres and 40% contained, and forward progression toward Kress was stopped.
Around 13 power outages were impacting 2,115 customers in Texas at 4:54 p.m., with about 1,000 of the customers in the Amarillo aera, according to the Xcel Energy outage map.
The red flag warning continues for the Texas Panhandle for critical fire weather conditions. A new dust storm advisory was issued for portions of the central and southern Texas Panhandle, where visibility may get as low as 1 mile at times.
This is a developing story; more information will be added as it becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: High winds bring dust and fire warnings, more evacuations near Amarillo
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
