Smokehouse Creek Fire (2024)
Texas Panhandle (Hutchinson County), Texas · Feb 26, 2024 – Mar 16, 2024
Largest wildfire in Texas historyAcres burned
1,058,482
Lives lost
2
Structures destroyed
138
Year
2024
What happened
The Smokehouse Creek Fire is the largest wildfire in Texas history, burning over one million acres of the Panhandle in early 2024 and killing vast numbers of cattle across ranching country.
Cause
Power line (utility equipment)
Location
Texas Panhandle (Hutchinson County), Texas
Key facts
- ▪Largest wildfire in Texas history (>1 million acres)
- ▪Caused by failed power-line equipment
- ▪Devastated Panhandle ranching and cattle
- ▪Burned into Oklahoma
Replay the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the spread simulator
This centers the wildfire-spread simulator on the Smokehouse Creek Fire’s documented ignition point and replays its conditions on 2024-02-26 — the day’s strongest wind, temperature, and humidity from the open-meteo historical archive (which set the fire-day fuel moisture) — run through the same Rothermel surface-fire model used across FireRisk. Press ▶ Simulate to watch how fire tends to move under those conditions.
⚠️ Educational reconstruction — not the real fire perimeter
This is a simplified model of how fire spreads under the 2024 conditions, not the Smokehouse Creek Fire’s actual burned area, official progression, or a prediction of any current fire. It cannot account for real fuels, suppression, spotting, or how conditions changed hour to hour. For real-time fire information always follow Watch Duty, official agencies, and local authorities — and call 911 in an emergency.
Loading the 2024 fire-day conditions…
Reminder: an educational reconstruction of fire spread under the 2024 conditions — not the Smokehouse Creek Fire’s actual perimeter, an official record, or a forecast. Modeled spread, direction, and timing are illustrative only. Never rely on it for any safety decision.
Aftermath & what changed
The fire put a national spotlight on grid-ignition risk outside the traditional Western fire states and on the agricultural toll of wildfire, with utility litigation following.
Could your home survive a fire like the Smokehouse Creek Fire?
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Smokehouse Creek Fire FAQ
When was the Smokehouse Creek Fire and where did it burn?
The Smokehouse Creek Fire started Feb 26, 2024 in Texas Panhandle (Hutchinson County), Texas, and was contained Mar 16, 2024.
How many acres did the Smokehouse Creek Fire burn?
The Smokehouse Creek Fire burned approximately 1,058,482 acres.
How many people died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire?
Approximately 2 people died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire.
What caused the Smokehouse Creek Fire?
Power line (utility equipment).
Figures are approximate and compiled from official agency reporting; totals for recent fires may still be revised. FireRisk.ai is an independent wildfire-risk service.