CANYON, Texas (KFDA) – Canyon city officials say structure loss from Thursday’s wildfires is expected to be substantial.
Damage assessments are still underway, and crews continue working to contain the fires in Randall County.
Canyon City Manager Joe Price says the fires spread quickly after they began.
“This fire was pretty unique. We had an isolated thunderstorm start, and with that, we didn’t have hardly any moisture, but we had an array of lightning strikes,” said Price. “Being that we’ve had no moisture for a long time, those strikes cause most of these fires.”
Canyon PIO Megan Nantz says evacuation notices were successful, and there have been no reported deaths.
“Everyone who was in the evacuation area was notified as best as possible, and we were able to get everyone out that we’re aware of,” said Nantz.
Price says multiple agencies worked together as the fire moved from county land into the city.
“There are probably 10 to 15 different divisions and agencies. We all came together as one, collaborated, and took this on together,” said Price.
The railroad trestle bridge west of Canyon also remains on fire, stopping train traffic along the busy Chicago line.
“That will burn for probably 48 hours. And so the travel on that track will be stopped,” said Price. “It’s the busiest line in America. There’s approximately 6 to 10 trains a day that travels that track, and that’s the bridge that caught fire.”
BNSF released a statement to NewsChannel 10, saying “BNSF’s Plainview Subdivision is currently out of service due to the loss of the bridge. A crew is on site working with first responders to clear the area and our teams are mobilizing to rebuild the bridge. We continue to monitor conditions closely to maintain safety. Customers in this area will continue to receive service by rerouting the traffic on an alternative route.”
Randall County AgriLife Extension Service Agent J.D. Ragland says the full damage assessment will take several days.
On Friday, May 15, he confirmed three homes have been destroyed along with multiple structures, such as barns, fences and sheds.
“These fields and pastures are just a candle to be able to keep that fire going because it’s so dry with the combination of the dry grass. It’s really just an igniting fuel for fire to get started,” said Ragland.
City officials say they are thankful for the community support as residents, businesses, and volunteers continue providing food, supplies, and assistance to first responders battling the wildfire.
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