Texas
2nd person dies as wildfires sweep across Texas Panhandle
A second person has died in the wildfires that are burning in the Texas Panhandle.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire that broke out on Monday has since extended to 1.1 million acres, making it the largest in Texas history.
According to KDFA-TV, Cindy Owen was in Pampa for work when she got stuck on the road, surrounded by fire.
She left her vehicle and was burned, KDFA says. Owen was taken to a burn center in Oklahoma City where she died.
The first death related to the wildfires happened in Hutchinson County. The victim’s grandson, Nathan Blankenship told CBS News Texas it was his 83-year-old grandmother, Joyce Blankenship.
Joyce Blankenship died when the Smokehouse Creek fire enveloped her neighborhood in the town of Stinnett, northeast of Amarillo.
MORE:
Ranches, cattle in Texas Panhandle suffering as wildfires rage
83-year-old grandmother dies in Smokehouse Creek fire
Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas explodes to become second-largest wildfire in U.S. history after burning 1.1 million acres
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