Rapidly spreading Texas wildfires prompt evacuations, nuclear weapons plant shutdown

Rapidly moving Texas wildfires prompted evacuation orders in small towns, on Tuesday, and shut down a nuclear facility as strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fuelled the blaze in the state’s rural Panhandle.

The main facility that assembles and disassembles America’s nuclear arsenal shut down its operations Tuesday night in Texas as fires raged out of control near its facility.

Pantex issued a statement online saying it had paused operations until further notice. “The fire near Pantex is not contained,” the company said.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest fire burned nearly 1,040 square kilometres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

That is more than twice its size since the fire sparked Monday. Authorities have not said what might have caused the blaze, which tore through sparsely populated counties surrounded by rolling plains.

“Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe,” Abbott said.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration did not immediately respond to media inquiries late Tuesday.

Since 1975, Pantex has been the U.S. main assembly and disassembly site for its atomic bombs. It assembled the last new bomb in 1991.

In the time since, it has dismantled thousands of weapons.

The largest blaze, known as the Smokehouse Creek Fire, closed highways and remained zero per cent contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Forest Service.

“Response efforts have shifted to evacuations. There is a small number of non-essential personnel sheltered on-site.”

Multiple fires were reported across Hemphill and Hutchinson counties near the Oklahoma border, where some evacuations were also ordered.

Texas state Sen. Kevin Sparks said an evacuation order was issued for the town of Canadian, a town of about 2,000 about 60 kilometres northeast of Amarillo, and other areas.

Residents urged to shelter in place

Later Tuesday, the Hemphill County Sheriff’s Office urged anyone who remained in Canadian to shelter in place or at the high school gym because roads were closed.

Evacuations were also ordered in nearby Miami, and schools in Canadian and Miami announced closures Wednesday.

East of Canadian, fire officials across the border in the area of Durham, Oklahoma, also encouraged people to evacuate because of the fire.

Evacuations were also taking place in Skellytown, Wheeler, Allison and Briscoe, according to the National Weather Service in Amarillo.

About 64 kilometres southwest of Canadian, city officials in Pampa on Facebook suggested that residents evacuate to the south and said buses were available for that purpose.

Officials said personnel were still fighting the fire Tuesday night but that residents of Pampa could return home.

To the west, at least some residents in the small city of Fritch in Hutchinson County were told to leave their homes Tuesday afternoon because of another fire that had jumped a highway.

Officials with Hutchinson County emergency management and in the nearby city of Borger, which had also been evacuated, posted Tuesday night on Facebook places where evacuees could shelter in both cities.

They said so many fires were burning in the county that it was “extremely hard” to keep everyone on the same page while they respond on the front lines.

“We have areas without power, water, and active burning,” the post said. “Pray for the safety of all involved. And pack your go bag just in case. That is the best information we know how to provide right now.”

On Tuesday evening, the fires were 32 to 40 kilometres from Amarillo, and wind was blowing wildfire smoke into the city, which could affect people with respiratory issues, weather service officials said.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings and fire danger alerts for several other states through the midsection of the country, as high winds of over 64 km/h combined with warm temperatures, low humidity and dry winter vegetation to make conditions ripe for wildfires.