The Hunggate Fire in the Texas Panhandle spread quickly on Thursday after dry lightning and strong winds sparked a series of wildfires in the region.<\/p>\n
Published May 15, 2026 1:17 PM CDT\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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Updated May 15, 2026 2:16 PM CDT\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\tThis drone video from storm chaser Jordan Hall shows a railroad going up in flames during a wildfire in Canyon, Texas, in the early morning of May 15.\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\tA lightning-sparked wildfire fanned by strong winds has destroyed several buildings and badly damaged a railroad in Canyon, Texas.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Hunggate Fire<\/a> started Thursday afternoon in the Texas Panhandle and had burned 14,000 acres by Friday morning. It was 40% contained, according to InciWeb.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“At approximately 4:30 p.m., a storm cell came over the area of Randall County, creating dry [lightning] which started a series of wildfires throughout the area,” the agency said on its website. InciWeb also said gusts from the thunderstorm created “erratic” fire behavior.\n<\/p>\n \n\tMore than 300 lightning strikes were recorded within a 25-mile radius of Canyon on Thursday afternoon and evening around the time that the Hunggate Fire was reported, according to the AccuWeather Lightning Network. This included 187 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.\n<\/p>\n \n\tA map showing lightning strikes around Canyon, Texas, on May 14, 2026, around the time that the Hunggate Fire started. (AccuWeather Lightning Network)\n<\/p>\n \n\tEvacuation orders were initially issued for the area but have since been lifted.\n<\/p>\n \n\tVideo from the scene on Friday morning<\/a> showed the immediate devastation, including damage to nearby buildings and a railroad that had been set on fire.\n<\/p>\n \n\tA building that was destroyed by the Hunggate Fire in Canyon, Texas. (Jordan Hall\/SevereStudios)\n<\/p>\n \n\tHeavy equipment is being used to build containment lines while fire crews are working to protect structures and knock down hot spots.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOther lightning-sparked wildfires in the region include the Line Fire<\/a>, which has burned 23,000 acres; the Shifty Fire<\/a>, which has burned 5,000 acres; and the Crooked Cook Fire<\/a>, which has burned 1,500 acres.\n<\/p>\n