Texas
Texas wildfire live updates: The latest on the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Thursday
A fire in West Texas has been raging since Monday and has become the second-largest fire in Texas history, as of early Thursday.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire was up to approximately 850,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle region and several new fires have popped up. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has upgraded the Texas State Emergency Operations Center readiness level and allowed more resources to be deployed to the impacted areas.
Authorities by late Wednesday confirmed one person, and 83-year-old grandmother from Stinnett , had died, but warned a thorough search of the extensive damage had not yet been conducted.
To see the latest air quality updates for parts of Texas, go to AirNow.gov
This is a developing news story. Check back for the latest updates.
Officials confirm one dead in Texas fire
USA Today confirmed through officials the death of Joyce Blankenship, an 83-year-old former substitute teacher in Hutchinson County. According to the article, Blankenship’s remains were found in her burned house
Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said he had posted in a community forum asking if anyone could try to locate her, according to the article. Quesada said deputies told his uncle on Wednesday they had found Blankenship’s remains in her burned home.
Texas Wildfire map: Where are the fires currently?
Comparison: The Smokehouse Creek Fire is so big it could cover Los Angeles
Biggest wildfires in Texas history
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the East Amarillo Complex Fire in the Texas Panhandle was the largest fire. The fire started on March 3, 2006, and consumed over 907,245 acres.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire is currently the second-largest fire in Texas history. It surpassed the 1988 fire named the Big Country Fire, which scorched 366,000 acres.
See Texas Panhandle wildfire photos
Below are galleries containing images of the damage and spread of the Texas wildfires.
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See how Texas medical schools rank among the world’s best for 2026
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When it comes to training the doctors and researchers who will staff hospitals, Texas holds its own on the world stage.
Several Texas health and medical institutions landed on U.S. News and World Report’s 2026-27 Best Global Universities list, with three cracking the global top 500 — led by UT Southwestern Medical Center at No. 113.
The list considered 13 indicators and weights to measure global research performance and reputation, ranking the world’s 2,250 top universities.
Here’s a look at how some major public and private health care and medical universities in Texas fared on the list.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Global Ranking: No. 113.
Location: Dallas, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Baylor College of Medicine
Global Ranking: No. 144.
Location: Houston, Texas.
Type: Private university.
University of Texas Health Science Center — Houston
Global Ranking: No. 324.
Location: Houston, Texas.
Type: Public university.
University of Texas Medical Branch — Galveston
Global Ranking: No. 599.
Location: Galveston, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Global Ranking: No. 1,871.
Location: Lubbock, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
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