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T he second-largest wildfire in U.S. History , and the largest in state History , is currently sweeping across the Texas Panhandle, burning through more than one million acres of land. Two people have now been confirmed dead as a result of the blazes. Joyce Blankenship, an 83-year-old grandmother was discovered in the remains of her burned home, while Cindy Owens, an Amarillo woman in her 40s, died Tuesday after she exited her truck for an unknown reason while driving in the Texan city Canadian. Sgt. Chris Ray of the Texas Department of Public Safety said that "the fire simply overtook her," NBC reported. The largest of the fires —which spans nearly 1.1 million acres—began at Smokehouse Creek and was 15% contained as of Sunday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.  A map demonstrating the spread of wild fires across the Texas Panhandle and into Oklahoma. Lon Tweeten for TIME The Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which covers more than 144,000 acres, was 55% contain...

A series of wild fires swept across the Texas Panhandle early Wednesday, prompting evacuations, cutting off power to thousands, and forcing at least the temporary shutdown of a nuclear weapons facility as strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. An unknown number of homes and other structures in Hutchinson County were damaged or destroyed, local emergency officials said. The main facility that assembles and disassembles America’s nuclear arsenal shut down its operations Tuesday night but said it would reopen for normal operations on Wednesday. Read More: What Wildfire Smoke Does to the Human Body “We have evacuated our personnel, non-essential personnel from the site, just in an abundance of caution,” Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for National Nuclear Security Administration’s Production Office at Pantex, said during a news conference. “But we do have a well-equipped fire department that has trained for these scenarios, that is on-site and watching...

A series of raging wildfires sweeping across the Texas Panhandle have burned through one million acres across the state and led to the death of one person. The 83-year-old grandmother who died in her home has been identified by family members as Joyce Blankenship, a former teacher from Stinnett, Hutchinson County. Blankenship’s grandson Lee Quesada told the Associated Press he had asked for help in a community forum to locate his grandmother. Per Quesada, he was later told by officials that his uncle had been informed that Blankenship’s remains were discovered in her burned home.  The wild fires have led to Texas Governor Greg Abbott issuing a state of disaster declaration in 60 counties and have resulted in forced evacuations in a number of towns. The state’s fire preparedness level was raised to three amid concerns that wildfire activity will continue to increase. The largest fire—which broke out Monday at Smokehouse Creek, north of Amarillo—is only 3% contained and has now burn...

The rebuilding process has begun across Maui, following the devastating wildfires that killed at least 115 people and displaced thousands more. The rebuilding process has begun across Maui, following the devastating wildfires that killed at least 115 people and displaced thousands more. Here is the latest news out of Maui as officials and residents alike trudge forward toward recovery following the tragedy. This page will be regularly updated. The fires The Upcountry fire is 90% contained and has affected an estimated 1,081 acres. The Kula fire is 95% contained and has affected an estimated 202 acres. MORE: Hawaii cultural figures lead community in 'healing' vigil following deadly Maui wildfires The Lahaina fire is 100% contained and has affected an estimated 2,170 acres. Officials say that containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been enclosed by a control line. This reflects the opportunity for the fire to spread beyond its original border into new ar...

A month after the deadly wildfire devastation, Maui slowly trudges toward rebuilding. Wild fires tore across parts of Maui last month and now the displaced community searches for answers about their future. Thousands were displaced, as their homes and Business es were burned to the ground. 115 people have been pronounced dead in connection with the blazes. The disaster area is dotted with crews dressed head to toe in hazmat suits and hard hats who are sifting through the rubble searching for hazardous materials in the first phase of the rebuilding effort to return Lahaina to what it was. A laundry list of concerns have compounded onto a community reeling from the trauma: looking for lost loved ones, identifying those who've been declared dead, being uprooted from their homes, finding reliable education, and hoping for an eventual return to normalcy. A man views the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 19, 2023. Jae C. Hong/AP "It feels like no time has gone by si...

Several regions in the U.S. are suffering from poor quality as the smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada make their way south. Several regions in the U.S. are suffering from poor air quality as the smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada make its way south. A large portion of the of the U.S. has been seeing smoky skies for days, presenting unhealthy conditions for residents with heart or lung conditions, officials said. MORE: Racially segregated communities breathing in air 3 times more concentrated with dangerous toxins, researchers say The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert for all of Montana, as well as parts of Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. Heavy wildfire smoke transported from Canadian wildfires can be found throughout northeastern Colorado on Friday, including Denver and the entire northern Front Range region. CDPHE Air Pollution/Twitter The Utah Department of Environmental Quality urged residents on Friday to avoid outdoor activities in places with v...