This story has been updated with additional information.
Crews battled a large grass fire in Amarillo on Monday, Feb. 9, as the region returned to critical fire weather conditions marked by dry fuels, strong winds and warm temperatures.
The blaze, dubbed the Wildhorse Fire, burned about 60 acres and was 80% contained as of 7:30 p.m., according to the Texas A&M Forest Service wildfire map. The Amarillo Fire Department later reported the fire was fully contained at 9:13 p.m.
The City of Amarillo’s Parks and Recreation Department said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park would be temporarily closed Tuesday, Feb. 10 while the Amarillo Fire Department addresses Monday’s fire that impacted the park, where several patches of charred land were visible. The park is scheduled to reopen Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Fire crews were initially dispatched to reports of an outdoor fire near 1st Avenue and Parker Street, where a dried-out lake bed with heavy dry fuels and a wooded area fueled rapid fire growth, AFD said in an evening update. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching 40 mph, caused the fire to spread quickly.
The fire crossed Amarillo Boulevard and extended into nearby structures, fire officials said. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the structure fires, preventing further damage. Air resources were also requested to assist with suppression efforts.
As the fire burned, traffic was impacted in the area. The Texas Department of Transportation reported at 7:46 p.m. that all lanes had reopened.
AFD said crews will continue to monitor the area overnight, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
AFD said in an evening update that crews were dispatched originally to an outdoor fire in the area of 1st and Parker, which was a dried-out lake bed with heavy dry fuels and a wooded area. According to AFD, firefighters made a valiant effort to put out the fire, but with sustained winds of 20-30 mph and 40 mph wind gusts, the fire spread quickly.
The call came in at about 12:39 p.m., with firefighters arriving to the scene at 12:44 p.m. North Heights Alternative School was evacuated early on as a precaution. “The fire was able to get across Amarillo Boulevard and into a few structures,” AFD said. “Those were quickly extinguished and the crews were able to focus again on the grass fire.”
The Amarillo Fire Department said in an earlier update that units were fighting “a large grass fire in the area of Boulevard and Hughes” with several grass trucks and state assets at the scene, as well as aircraft assisting with the containment. AFD had also said 10 structures were threatened but were no longer in danger from the fire. Crews encountered heavy fuel and rough terrain, which hindered access to the fire itself.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s road closures map, BI-40 (Amarillo Boulevard) had been closed in both directions near Wildhorse Lake due to low visibility from smoke, but it reopened later in the evening. Xcel Energy’s outage map reported a couple of power outages in the area, but most power had been restored as of 9 p.m.
No injuries were reported. AFD said the fire was contained, and Amarillo crews would remain at the scene to patrol the area throughout the night. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The National Weather Service Amarillo Office said the Red Flag Warning, which continued until about 7 p.m., impacted the bulk of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, including Amarillo, with wind gusts up to 40 mph, relative humidity as low as 7% and temperatures in the 70s to 80s.
The Amarillo Office of Emergency Management advised breezy southwest winds and dry conditions meant fires could spread rapidly, and urged residents to avoid all outdoor burning, secure loose items and prevent sparks.
Several other grass fires popped up in the region throughout the day. A second grass fire was burning Monday afternoon in Oldham County near Boys Ranch. According to TAMFS, the fire was located off of U.S. Highway 385 and was an estimated 58 acres and 90% contained as of 7:30 p.m. A third fire in the Panhandle started later in the evening in Wheeler County, with about 75% containment and a size of 18 acres reported by the Forest Service at 7:49 p.m.
Another fire was burning in eastern New Mexico near the state line in Quay County and was estimated to be around 2,600 acres, impacting travel on Highway 469 and damaging several structures, with containment percentage not available. New Mexico fire officials said the 352 Fire was discovered at 12:30 p.m. on Monday near I-40, north of San Jon. The fire was wind driven from the southwest and moved through grass and brush, threatening several structures. Smoke was visible from Interstate 40 and the surrounding areas. A second fire, northwest of Tucumcari and dubbed the Leche incident, was more than 3,300 acres in estimated size with an unknown containment percentage.
This is a developing story; more information will be added as it becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Grass fire burns estimated 60 acres off Amarillo Boulevard
Reporting by Kristina Wood and Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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