USA now! Houses and cars are burning! Largest wildfire in Texas

3 months ago
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Five major wildfires in the Texas Panhandle have destroyed more than 1.25 million acres of land. The largest fire remains the one in Coptule Creek, north of Stinnett.
The fire in Coptule Creek has already consumed over 1 million acres of land only in Texas, making it the largest fire in the state's history.
Very strong winds and extremely dry conditions on February 26 created the "perfect setup" for wildfires, said Samuel Scoleri, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. In some areas of the Panhandle, winds were recorded at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour with even stronger gusts.
On February 27, the Texas governor declared a state of disaster for 60 counties in the state.
The wildfires raging in the Texas Panhandle are growing at a staggering rate, with the fire consuming the area of two football fields per second. This has led to mass evacuations.
The flames approached close to a nuclear weapons production facility outside Amarillo, resulting in the suspension of operations at the facility.
On Thursday, a weak area of low pressure moved through the Texas wildfire zones, bringing a light snow cover. This slowed the spread of the fire and allowed firefighters to increase containment from 3% to 15%. However, critical weather conditions returned to the Texas Panhandle over the weekend – warm, dry, and windy weather, adding new challenges for firefighters trying to contain this massive wildfire.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Friday that, based on preliminary estimates, about 500 structures have already been destroyed. At least five firefighters were injured while fighting the fire. At least two people have died in the fire.
The fire has not only affected Texas; 25,000 acres have burned in Oklahoma.
The extent of the fires in Texas and Oklahoma is so vast that the charred, scorched earth is visible from space.
In different regions of the U.S., as well as in other countries, there is an unprecedented increase in the area of ​​natural fires. Fifty years ago, there was no such thing as megafires, whose area would exceed 100,000 acres, and in February of this year, only one fire has already exceeded this value by 10 times.
The speed of fire spread is unprecedented. Heat, drought, and strong winds contribute to this. In recent years, some fires have exhibited a dangerous characteristic: they are almost impossible to extinguish; they stop after heavy rain or when there is nothing left to burn. This fire behavior puzzles specialists and firefighters. The reason lies in degassing – the release of flammable gases from under the ground. It has become particularly pronounced in recent years due to the activation of the Earth's subsurface. This is why such fires most often occur along faults in the Earth's crust. The reasons for the abnormal activity of the Earth's subsurface are explained in detail on the forum "Global Crisis. The Responsibility."

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