A wildfire burning in the Texas Panhandle destroyed a railroad trestle near Canyon early Friday morning as firefighters continued battling multiple fast-moving blazes fueled by dry conditions, strong winds, and lightning.
Video released by the Amarillo Fire Department showed the trestle engulfed in flames in Randall County, with smoke pouring across the area.
Additional footage shared from the scene captured heavy smoke obscuring the sun while emergency vehicles worked nearby amid intense wind conditions.
A railroad bridge in Canyon, Texas, was engulfed in flames and came close to collapsing as the Hunggate Fire swept through the area Friday morning.
pic.twitter.com/sxPr8ALyd0— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 15, 2026
The fire, known as the Hunggate Fire, has burned approximately 14,000 acres in Randall County and was reported to be between 30% and 40% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Officials said the fire was likely sparked by lightning.
BNSF Railway confirmed the blaze destroyed the trestle and disrupted service on its Plainview Subdivision.
“A crew is onsite working with first responders to clear the area and our teams are mobilizing to rebuild the bridge,” BNSF spokesperson Kendall Sloan said, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
The Hunggate Fire is one of numerous wildfires burning across the Panhandle, stretching from the Texas-New Mexico border toward Childress. State officials said nearly 40,000 acres have burned across the region, with only a small number of fires fully contained.
Emergency officials issued several evacuation notices and traffic alerts as crews responded to rapidly changing fire conditions.
Authorities announced the evacuation of River Falls Airport and warned drivers to avoid the Claude Highway, also known as FM 1151, because of severe traffic congestion. Randall County officials also closed U.S. 87 from just south of Canyon to Hunggate Road and urged motorists to stay out of the area.
In neighboring Castro County, emergency management officials issued a fire warning tied to a wildfire about nine miles northwest of Happy.
“A fire warning has been issued for this area,” the alert stated. “There is a dangerous wildfire located 9 miles northwest of Happy. Avoid FM 168 north of county line. Detour FM 1075. Do not drive around barricades.”
Most evacuation orders issued during the fires have since been lifted, though officials said damage assessments remain ongoing and no total count of destroyed structures has been released, Fox 4 reported.
The National Weather Service warned that elevated fire danger is expected to continue across the Panhandle through at least Monday, raising concerns that additional fires could spread quickly.
The Texas A&M Forest Service Incident viewer showed 8 active fires in the Panhandle area on Friday afternoon, covering thousands of acres of land.
