This story has been updated with additional information.
Xcel Energy was working to restore service Tuesday evening after cutting power to thousands of customers earlier in the day as high winds and extreme fire danger moved across the Texas Panhandle. As of 8:45 p.m. Feb. 17, about 6,400 were still without power.
Multiple fires were reported across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, as winds intensified and brought blowing dust and wind gusts up to 65 mph early on in the day, as well as clouds of smoke. Two fires in Oklahoma — including one estimated to be 145,000 acres in size — crossed the state line into Kansas.
Texas A&M Forest Service said its fire resources were responding to six active wildfires across the state, including several in the Texas Panhandle.
“While the winds are dying down tonight, we aren’t out of the woods yet. Large fires are still burning in the heavy brush and difficult terrain across the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles,” the National Weather Service Amarillo office said in an 8:50 p.m. update. “If you are heading out tomorrow morning, please be extra cautious. Smoke and fire activity near Hwy 87 (north of Amarillo) may cause road closures as the Valley de Oro fire moves east along the Canadian River Valley.”
Conditions will be improving overnight with lighter winds, but winds are expected to ramp back up Wednesday to a steady 35 mph with 50-plus mph wind gusts possible.
U.S. 287 in Armstrong County was closed in both directions from Armstrong County Road 28 to Donley County Road 3 but was later reopened. Fire crews had been having difficulty with traffic entering the area, including multiple semitrailers, according to officials. In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) road closures map showed Hwy. 70 was closed from I-40 to Clarendon but also later reopened.
Around 3:30 p.m., Howardwick was evacuated in the Armstrong County area, where a fire warning was active for a fire east of Goodnight and north of U.S. 287, moving rapidly northeast at 3 to 5 mph. An updated warning issued by National Weather Service Amarillo at 4:36 p.m. for northwestern Donley County said the fire was located four miles west of Howardwick or 10 miles northwest of Clarendon, moving east at 3 to 5 mph. The areas impacted included Hwy. 70 north between Clarendon and I-40, including Greenbelt Lake and Howardwick.
The Donley County Sheriff’s Department reported Wednsday morning that the Nocona Hills section of Howardwick and residences on the backside of Greenbelt Lake have been under an evacuation order since about 2:15 a.m. The rest of Howardwick is on standby. The Texas A&M Forest Service is reporting 25% containment, with at least 9,000 acres burned.
A fire warning was issued by NWS Amarillo at about 3:41 p.m., requested by the Oldham County and Potter County Offices of Emergency Management for Western Potter and Eastern Oldham counties. The wildfire was located 5 miles south of Boys Ranch, or 16 miles northeast of Vega, moving east-northeast at 3 to 5 mph, and impacting areas along Hwy. 385, including Valle De Oro, which was under a mandatory evacuation order. Shelter was being set up at the Church at Bushland, at 1800 S FM 2381, with Red Cross personnel on hand. In addition, RM 1061 (Tascosa Road) was closed from US 385 to FM 2381. The Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management requested a new fire warning from the NWS at about 7:20 p.m., noting the fire was located over Valle De Oro, or about 20 miles northwest of Amarillo, with areas east of Tascosa Road and other portions of northwest Potter County being affected.
The Amarillo Fire Department said it deployed a strike team consisting of multiple apparatus and personnel to assist with the wildfire response in Potter County near the Valle de Oro area northwest of Amarillo, joining county and state resources already working the fire.
The Potter County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday morning that RM 1061 (Boys Ranch Road) remained closed from RM 2381 (Bushland Road) to U.S. Highway 385.
“Please do NOT try to come out to look. First responders and fire crews are actively working this area,” the office said in a Facebook update.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said the “Lavender Fire” had burned an estimated 8,500 acres as of 1:40 a.m. Wednesday and was about 10% contained.
TAMFS was also reporting a fire around Plainview at 600 acres and 8% contained.
Another fire warning was issued by the National Weather Service on behalf of the Lipscomb Office of Emergency Management at 4:09 p.m. for a fire in southeastern Lipscomb County. At 4:06 p.m., a wildfire was located five miles west of Higgins or nine miles southeast of Lipscomb, moving east-northeast at 3 to 5 mph. The area impacted includes Higgins as well as Hwy. 213 and a portion of Hwy. 60. Residents were advised to be prepared for possible evacuations. TAMFS said that fire, the Haystack Fire, was about 122 acres and 90% contained as of 6:58 p.m.
“Large, fast moving wildfires have broken out across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles,” NWS said in an afternoon update. “We greatly urge everyone to avoid travel and do everything in your power to prevent the starts of wildfires as we approach the evening rush.”
The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning for most of the day, as well as warnings and advisories for blowing dust and high wind.
Ahead of the severe weather on Tuesday, the utility initiated a Public Safety Power Shutoff that began around 9 a.m., which was estimated to affect about 14,500 customers in Carson, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hansford, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman and Swisher counties.
Xcel Energy said in a 5:45 p.m. update that crews have started power restoration work following the Public Safety Power Shutoff. The utility reported 16,500 customers were without power as of 5 p.m.; of those, 14,277 were from the PSPS and 2,223 from weather-related outages. They expect most customers to be restored Tuesday night, though some outages may extend into tomorrow due to the scale of the event and the 2,500 miles of lines de‑energized during the PSPS.
Wind gusts reached above 65 mph in some areas, leaving some intersections without signals and businesses temporarily closed across Amarillo and throughout the region.
The company said crews expect to begin restoring electricity for some customers around 5 p.m. once weather conditions fall below PSPS thresholds. Restoration could continue into Wednesday because workers must inspect and repair lines before they can be safely re-energized.
More than 400 crew members and contractors have been staged across Texas and New Mexico, along with three helicopters to speed inspections. The company also has more than 140 support staff assisting operations.
Customers are asked to stay clear of line workers and equipment as restoration begins. Additional outages may occur outside the shutoff areas due to ongoing weather conditions, and blowing dust may slow response efforts. Officials also urged residents to avoid downed power lines or broken poles and report them to Xcel Energy immediately.
Active fires reported in Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles
The NWS in Amarillo issued other fire warnings at the request of the Texas A&M Forest Service and Oklahoma Forestry Services as rapidly spreading wildfires developed across the region Tuesday afternoon.
The Oklahoma Forestry Services gave the following update around 8:30 p.m. with new estimates for the Feb. 17 fires in the Oklahoma Panhandle:
Woodward, Oklahoma was facing an evacuation warning at about 7:26 p.m.
One of the fires near Tyrone, Oklahoma — about 14 miles west of Liberal, Kansas — was moving east-northeast at 3 to 5 mph and impacting areas along Highway 54, including the town of Tyrone that was under evacuation, as well as portions of far northeastern Texas County, Oklahoma and other areas. The fire’s original estimated size was around 2,000 acres.
The wildfire near Beaver, Oklahoma, in Beaver County, originally estimated at 15,000 acres, was moving east-northeast toward areas east of Highway 270 and Highway 23 and along Highway 64 between Forgan and Knowles up to and across the state line into Kansas, according to the fire warning and forestry service. Many sections of the roads in the area, including portions of Hwy. 64 and US 283, were closed. A fire warning issued by NWS Amarillo included the towns of Knowles and Gate. The fire line stretched into Kansas at Englewood and beyond, a NWS wildfire graphic showed.
Officials warned that smoke and fire posed a threat to life and property and advised residents to be prepared to evacuate if requested. Drivers were urged not to enter smoke-covered roadways.
Warnings and advisories in effect through most of Tuesday, expected Wednesday
The NWS in Amarillo issued a High Wind Warning and Blowing Dust Advisory through 7 p.m. Tuesday for Deaf Smith, Hansford, Hutchinson, Oldham, Potter and Randall counties, including Palo Duro Canyon.
Forecasters warned that westerly to southwesterly winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 70 mph could create visibility between one-quarter mile and one mile in blowing dust. Hwy. 87/287 northbound in Moore County was closed due to an overturned semitractor-trailer.
Officials said hazardous travel conditions are expected, especially for high-profile vehicles, and damaging winds may down trees and power lines, contributing to outages across the region.
Similar weather was in the forecast for Wednesday.
Xcel Energy answers customers’ concerns about outages
In a Facebook post, Xcel Energy said differences in outages between neighboring homes are tied to how the electric grid is designed.
“We understand outages can be frustrating, and as we navigate severe weather, we’re here to provide information and answers about how we’re working to protect communities from wildfire risk,” the company said.
The utility said the grid is divided into smaller circuits that can be shut off independently to reduce wildfire risk. During a Public Safety Power Shutoff, power is turned off to entire segments rather than individual homes, meaning nearby houses may have different outcomes if they are served by separate lines or located on opposite sides of sectionalizing equipment.
Officials said factors including overhead lines in high-risk areas, underground infrastructure and proximity to critical facilities affect which areas remain energized. The company added it plans to install additional sectionalizing devices through 2027 to create smaller outage areas and potentially shorten future shutoffs.
Restoration work should begin around 5 p.m., as soon as winds drop below PSPS thresholds, Xcel said, but some outages may continue into Wednesday, since crews must inspect every line before power can be safely restored.
The utility said more than 400 crew members and contractors are positioned across Texas and New Mexico, and three helicopters are available to help speed inspections. More than 140 administrative and support staff are working behind the scenes to support the response.
High winds and blowing dust may still cause additional outages outside PSPS areas and could slow restoration efforts.
Xcel Energy said updates will continue through its website and outage map as conditions change.
Several earlier fires in the Texas Panhandle, including the 275-acre Korn fire near Hartley and 1-acre Burton fire in Hemphill County, were quickly contained with forward progression stopped. A smaller fire in Oldham County in the day burned about 11 acres.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas Panhandle fires burn during high winds that prompted outages
Reporting by Michael Cuviello and Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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