Wildfire In Texas Panhandle Damages House, Buildings

POTTER COUNTY, TX — Officials in Potter County have asked some residents to evacuate their homes after a wildfire quickly spread through the area.

The fire started Friday afternoon north of Amarillo and has burned buildings in the area. It engulfed a home and another structure before moving east into a field where crews are working to extinguish the fire at this time, the Amarillo Globe News reported.

Phillip Truitt, a public information officer for the Texas A&M Forest Service, told Patch the conditions are ripe for a fire that could potentially cause damage. Winds are currently blowing at 22 miles-per-hour, with gusts up to 33 miles-per-hour, and humidity is at 15 percent. The National Weather Service reports most wildfires occur at or below 20 percent humidity. In its fire forecast, the Weather Service said conditions in Amarillo "promote elevated to critical fire weather conditions across the panhandles."

Saturday's forecast calls for lower winds and higher humidities, factors Truitt said help quell wildfires.

School district in the area rerouted buses to avoid the fires. Amarillo police have closed a five-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 287, as well as other roads in the area.

The Texas A&M Forest Service says the fire has burned 400 acres and is 10 percent contained, KFDA reported. Authorities said the fire has not caused any injuries.

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