Headline

Wildfires are 3rd largest in Texas state history

 United States

The Perryton fire, which traveled across four counties, scorched 318,056 acres and became the third largest fire in Texas history. This map from the Texas A&M Forest Services shows the areas that have burned, as well as where the Forest Service has contained the blaze. Image: Texas A&M Forest Services

While dwindling fires in the northeast Texas Panhandle smoldered for the fourth consecutive day, and Texas Forest Service personnel deal with tamping down various hot spots, the Texas A&M Forest Service said the Perryton fire, which traveled across four counties, scorched 318,056 acres and became the third largest fire in Texas history.

This week’s three major wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, which includes the Perryton fire, combined to burn more than 480,000 acres.

Blazes that started on Monday and spread into Roberts, Hemphill, Ochiltree and Lipscomb Counties killed four people in Texas, left one dead in Oklahoma, one dead in Kansas, and killed at least 1,500 cattle in the Panhandle, a number that could climb in the coming days and weeks according to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.