By Li Cohen
In the Texas Panhandle, lampposts are now melted, power line posts are split in half and homes and properties have been reduced to charred remains. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that broke out on Monday has since extended to 1.1 million acres, firefighters said Thursday, quickly becoming the “largest and most destructive” in state history.
The West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department said overnight that the fire, located in Hutchinson County, grew to 1.1 million acres and is roughly 3% contained.
“This is now both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas history,” the department wrote on Facebook. “It is also the second largest wildfire in U.S. history.”