The wildfires that ripped through the Texas Panhandle this month have left many people in need, and individuals and government entities are still working to help those who lost their homes and properties.
As of Sunday, three wildfires remain active, though they are now mostly contained. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchison County — the largest in Texas history — is 87% contained after burning more than 1 million acres. The Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County is 96% contained, and the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County is 92% contained.
Many Texas residents whose properties burned due to the Panhandle wildfires did not have home insurance, The Texas Tribune reported.
“The countless Texans who have been impacted by these devastating wildfires are going through challenges that require our ongoing support and assistance as we work together to help the entire Panhandle region rebuild and return to normalcy,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press release earlier this month.
“Together, we will do everything we can to deliver the resources and assistance Texans need to respond and stay safe,” he said.
“We are not making the thresholds for FEMA. The threshold for uninsured properties is over $45 million, so we are not going to be getting any assistance from the federal government, meaning a lot of this is going to fall back on the community, our non-profits and faith-based organizations to help get these people back to where they need to be. … As [emergency agencies] pull out, we will really need the community to help step in,” said Deidra Thomas, the City of Borger’s public engagement coordinator, per Amarillo Globe-News.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Texans have been volunteering to donate and distribute resources to those affected by the wildfires.
“Right now, we are focused on clean-up supplies, leather gloves, trash bags, trash cans, things of that nature, rakes, snow shovels, anything that could help in the clean-up process,” Thomas said.
