High winds fanned flames to spread as quickly as 5 to 10 mph in hilly terrain northwest of Amarillo, where a wildfire devastated neighborhoods and destroyed multiple homes and other structures Monday night, May 18.
“The fires in bishop estates are devastating,” Potter County Fire Rescue said on Facebook. “We have many crews working on saving everything we can. Please be patient with us. We will let you come home as soon as it is safe. We don’t know when that will be. There is no power in the area due to several burned poles and downed electrical lines.”
Potter County Fire Rescue said in an update that most of the fire is out, but the ongoing danger is downed power lines and fire trucks working to take care of hot spots. “Several high voltage lines are on the ground and although there is not supposed to be power to them, improperly connected private generators, automatic reconnectors and other hazards make it very unsafe to be in the area for now.” The agency said they would announce when residents could return to assess the damage.
According to Juan Rodriguez, Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator with Texas A&M Forest Service, the Stinky Fire so far had burned around 2,570 acres as of Tuesday, May 19, and an assessment team is going out later in the day to survey the damage.
According to the Forest Service, the fire started at approximately 4:24 p.m. May 17 about 3.5 miles northeast of Bushland and was initially responded to by local fire departments. Texas A&M Forest Service provided assistance but was released from the fire at 7 p.m. They were requested back to the fire at 4 p.m. Monday due to a breach in containment; firefighters engaged in active structure protection for threatened homes and worked to construct lines on the left and right flanks of the fire. Air tankers made water drops, and state resources remained on the fire overnight, where containment lines held. Firefighters were working Tuesday to secure structure protection around homes, and heavy equipment and firefighters were working to increase containment of the fire.
A mandatory evacuation remained in effect for Bishop Estates, which includes Two Deer Creek, Eagle Tree, Quail Canyon, Bishop Ranches, Alta Vista Estates, Dripping Springs, and Silver Pointe and the immediate surrounding areas, according to the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management.
“Emergency personnel continue actively assessing conditions within the evacuation areas this morning. Many residents are understandably anxious to return home, and evacuation orders will be lifted in coordination with responding agencies as soon as conditions are determined to be safe,” Amarillo OEM said in an update posted on Facebook. “Response partners continue conducting damage assessments and evaluating road access, utilities, and overall public safety conditions throughout the affected areas. This includes coordination among fire personnel, law enforcement, utility providers, emergency management, and other responding agencies.
“This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional situation for many families. Every decision is being made with the safety of residents, first responders, and the community in mind. The patience, support, and compassion being shown throughout this response are deeply appreciated, and additional updates will be shared as information becomes available.”
Amarillo OEM said in an update that the active shelter accepting evacuees is located at The Church at Quail Creek, 1801 Tascosa Road in Amarillo. Residents needing shelter assistance are encouraged to report to this location.
A road closure is in effect for RM 1061 due to low visibility and was expected to end around 11 a.m.
The fire that spread to Bishop Estates originated from the Amarillo city landfill, where it had been contained to five acres on Sunday, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation. As of midnight, forward progress of the fire was stopped around Ranch Road. Rodriguez said that night crews feared the northern shift in wind, which was strong, around midnight might jeopardize the southern area, but preventative measures seemed to have worked in stalling it. The fire was 20% contained.
Some of the intersections are still blocked, and the public is discouraged from going in due to ongoing operations.
Rodriguez said the day shift firefighting crew was on their way to take over the operation.
It is known that several homes were destroyed, but a total number has not been released by Texas A&M Forest Service as of yet. Rodriguez said that the fire was stopped west of the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which also was evacuated as a precaution.
Power to Bishop Hills and Tascosa Hills was restored by Xcel Energy, but remained off in Bishop Estates.
The fire is one of dozens that have sparked in the Texas Panhandle and beyond over the past several days during critical fire weather conditions. Other communities and first responderd battled fires Monday in the region, including Kress and Howardwick.
Staff writer Kristina Wood contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional information.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Fire ravages Bishop Estates near Amarillo, crews assessing damage
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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