wildfires

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's fight with the state Forestry Services continues, as he purged agency leadership and set up a "working group."

As Oklahoma recovers from a massive wildfire outbreak in March, the governor has criticized the state Forestry Services’ response, and even mused about disbanding the division. State officials at the Forestry Services and beyond are pushing back.

Last week, wildfires raged across Oklahoma, claiming thousands of acres of land and hundreds of buildings. KOSU's Sarah Liese reports for StateImpact that the flames also destroyed a historic church in Kiowa County, leaving a congregation to rebuild.

Among the proposals is a bill that would force more inspections of power lines, which a committee concluded ignited a blaze that burned more than 1 million acres last year.

Wildfires have become more frequent, burning bigger areas during longer seasons thanks to conditions exacerbated by climate change. More people in the Great Plains and Midwest are turning to “prescribed” burns, which can help reduce wildfire risk.

Concerns are growing about a measles outbreak in West Texas as some legislators push to rollback vaccination requirements. It appears the threat of cutbacks from the federal government may already be having an effect on health services for veterans. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted targeted enforcement actions in Austin last month, and Hispanic business owners say the impact has been immediate. And: Nearly one year ago, downed power lines sparked wildfires that ultimately burned more than 1 million acres in the Texas Panhandle. The recovery effort is ongoing today. The post A year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire, recovery is still underway appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios — Podcasts.

A panel of Texas lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday about the investigation into what caused the largest wildfire in Texas history, which burned more than one million acres of the panhandle in late February and early March.

No state agency is taking responsibility for making sure the privately built lines that power many oil and gas sites are safe. Such lines have been blamed for sparking two recent Panhandle fires.

The Smokehouse Creek fire began on Feb. 26 due to a downed electricity pole. The blaze consumed over a million acres, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history. On Thursday, a representative from Xcel Energy's Southwestern Public Service Company testified before a Texas House committee charged with investigating the Panhandle wildfires.

This year, wildfires have already burned thousands of acres in the Great Plains. Dry conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures have optimal settings for wildfires, and some experts say they are seeing more intense fires.