08 March 2024 at 00:46
The wildfire that has affected large parts of the state of Texas over the past week and a half started near high-voltage lines. This is the conclusion of the Texas A&M Forest Service after research. Electricity company Xcel Energy comes to the same conclusion.
The fire in Texas started on February 26 and was quickly fanned by strong winds and warm weather. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, as the wildfire in Texas has been baptized, became the largest fire ever in Texas.
The fire also spread to the neighboring state of Oklahoma, where the Windy Deuce fire originated. The two wildfires destroyed an area of about five thousand square kilometers. That is an area the size of the province of North Brabant.
Texas A&M Forest Service says it has found the cause of the fire in power lines. The fire brigade did not elaborate in a statement on what exactly happened. Xcel Energy confirms that the fire started in its own infrastructure, but does not share any details. The company says it is not responsible for the fire in Oklahoma.
At least two people have died in the wildfires. In addition, dozens of houses were reduced to ashes and tens of thousands of livestock died. At its peak, the fire was so extensive that it was visible from space. The wildfire was observed by a satellite orbiting the Earth at a distance of more than 36,000 kilometers.
The fires in Texas and Oklahoma are still not fully under control, reports the Texas A&M Forest Service.
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2024-03-07 23:46:16
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