AUSTIN, Texas — As the Smokehouse Creek Fire continues to burn in the Texas Panhandle, some Central Texans may be wondering how it compares to the infamous Bastrop Complex Fire in 2011, which occurred during a period when most of Texas was in the "exceptional" drought category.
As many know by now, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned over 1 million acres, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history. It is so large that another wildfire in the Panhandle has burned into it.
Many Central Texans recall the Bastrop County Complex Fire back in September 2011. The 32,000-acre inferno was the most destructive wildfire in state history, with more than 1,600 homes destroyed, $350 million in property damage – also making it the costliest fire in state history – and two deaths.
However, a key difference between the Bastrop Complex Fire and the currently burning Smokehouse Creek Fire is that there are fewer buildings in the path of the Smokehouse Creek Fire, largely due to a lack of population density northeast of Amarillo, Texas.
Additionally, the fire weather risk for Thursday is mainly high in the Texas Panhandle but is slightly lower here in the Austin metro area. However, it's still important to be careful when outdoor burning.
Stick with KVUE as we continue to track the ongoing situation in the Texas Panhandle.
While we may be dry ourselves for Friday and the weekend, we're expecting a chance for storms that could limit the fire risk locally to start next week.
Your 7-day forecast depicting this is below.
