Following a summer where most of this area has already met its annual rainfall totals, the Texas Panhandle and South Plains are experiencing some wildfires, from Silverton to Plainview and beyond. But as explained by the Texas Forestry Service, fall brings changes to the area, leading to more risks of fires.
Juan Rodriguez with Texas A&M Forestry Service explained that although we had a good rainfall during the past summer, already totaling our normal annual amount, it caused more growth of plants that can become fuel as they die off and become dormant. The remaining fields that have remained green all summer are now turning brown and becoming an easy target for fires. “We’re trending in some areas into a small drought, but our fields and vegetation are starting to cure and transition from that live stage to dormant stage, creating a lot of fuel out there,” Rodriguez said.
“I know we’ve already gone above our annual average for rain back in July. But it’s a double-edge sword,” he said. “On one hand, we had more vegetation and it stayed green, but now we have more plants transitioning to dead or dormant and that’s more fuel. All they need is an ignition.”
On Oct. 11, the Texas A&M Forest Service raised the Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 3 due to continued hot and dry conditions as well as an increase in current and expected wildfire activity across the state.
Smoke rises from the Tule Fire in Briscoe County on Oct. 4, 2025, as seen from a Texas A&M Forest Service aircraft. The wildfire burned through rugged canyon terrain and grasslands north of Highway 86 before crews contained 80 percent of the blaze by Sunday.
Rodriguez said the agency responded to two fires in the area this past weekend, but the weekend before, they had a larger one in Silverton. The Blackburn Canyon fire in Randall County, which burned 39 acres and led to some evacuations and a multi-agency response, was fully contained as of Saturday evening, Oct. 11. The previous week, the Tule Fire charred an estimated 2,548 acres in Briscoe County, and officials were able to prevent the fire from jumping Highway 207.
Rodriguez reminded people to keep their vegetation cut short and to keep a safe distance between shrubs and trees from your house, as it could ignite your home. He said he understands the need to have plants around a home, but it’s important to keep them trimmed and cut back for safety’s sake.
According to the National Weather Service, the region could see some light rain, with chances at around 20%. Weather forecasts show it warming up in this area, but also experiencing a windy day on Wednesday, which can lead to increased fire chances.According to West Texas Mesonet services, the Amarillo area received 6.48 inches of rain in April, 4.25 inches in May, 3.10 inches in June, 5.16 inches in July, and 3 inches in August. And so far, the total rain for the year is at nearly 24.7 inches — well above the average amount.
But, according to the Texas map from the U.S. Drought Monitor posted Oct. 9, parts of the Panhandle including Randall County and a portion of Potter County are considered abnormally dry, with some counties in the southeastern part of the region in moderate drought, as of Oct. 7.
This area is prone to drought anyway, so it’s good to keep an eye on your surrounding property and take precautions to keep it safe.
Rodriguez added that when the West Texas winds fire up, that just increases the danger as crops and grass, weeds become drier. “When it’s dry and windy, that can really create bad wildfires,” he warned.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Fire officials note wildfire danger remains despite plentiful rain