Drones endangering firefighters involved in Texas wildfire battle, officials say

 The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which started just north of the town of Stinnett, has rapidly grown in size and spread across the region, becoming the largest wildfire in Texas state history in a matter of days.

   Firefighters in the Texas Panhandle continue to attack several large wildfires that burned across the region last week, and officials are now issuing warnings that people flying drones over the area could jeopardize the safety of people trying to extinguish the deadly blazes. Can put you in danger.

"Firefighters and public safety are the top priorities in wildfire management," the Texas A&M Forest Service said in a Facebook post. "Unauthorized UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems, or drone) flights over or near wildfires can cause serious injury or death to firefighters in the air and/or firefighters and members of the public on the ground."

However, progress has been made in controlling the fires. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Smokehouse Creek fire has scorched approximately 1.06 million acres and is now 44% contained.

"Yesterday, we had a great day on the fire line," Blue Team operations section chief Mike Broad said in an update on Facebook. “We are making good progress, taking advantage of the mild weather conditions.”

Brod said they were able to quickly put out a small fire that broke out just south of the Grape Vine Creek Fire, near the community of Groom.

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"Our resources were able to assist local responders and contain the approximately 30-acre fire," Brod said. "So, the possibility is still there. But, the weather we have right now is helping a lot in our firefighting efforts."

Attention was now on the edge of the Smokehouse Creek Fire, Brod said.

Fire areas have now been mapped where officials believe fires are safe, and more resources have been placed where there is greater risk of fire spreading.

"We're focusing on the edge of the fire, making sure it's safe," he said. "But we're also looking inward because we know there are unburned pockets within the perimeter of this big fire, and we want to make sure those unburned pockets are safe as well. Because we know that in some cases There are homes and other structures in those areas."

The fire has so far scorched more than 1 million acres of land in both Texas and Oklahoma, burning more than 500 structures and killing countless livestock.

Texas Division of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said damage assessments were ongoing, but at least 47 families lost their homes.

At least two people have died in the fire.

Kidd said that despite improvements in prevention, the danger when winds are expected to return is not over.

"The men and women out there right now are doing everything they can to create a perimeter around it, so as we go through three different changes in the weather today and additional fires on Thursday and Friday," Kidd said Wednesday. "Looking at the weather." "We don't want any embers to come out and light new fires."

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Serious fire danger is eliminated

This week brought some good news for hundreds of people waging the war against wildfires as conditions have started to improve and the threat of serious wildfires has decreased.

A storm system emerging from the Rockies this weekend could intensify across the southern Plains, pulling moisture north into the fire-ravaged region.

As this system strengthens, rain may also start from behind that system.

The Fox Forecast Center said the rainfall that may occur will be a relief to people trying to extinguish the fires.

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Other fires burn in the Texas Panhandle

Several other fires continue to burn in the Texas Panhandle.

As of Wednesday, the Grape Vine Creek fire is still 77% contained and has burned 34,882 acres.

The Magenta Fire is now completely contained and has burned less than 3,300 acres.

The Windy Deuce Fire, which has burned 144,206 acres of land, is 81% contained.

There was another fire, called the 687 Reamer Fire, which was absorbed by