Texas is on fire. Igniting on Monday, Feb. 26, the Smokehouse Creek Fire quickly grew into the largest wildfire in Texas history. After reaching only 44% containment by press time, it has burned over 1 million acres, devastating the Texas Panhandle. In addition to raising concerns about potential long-term ramifications, the fire has ignited conversations about global warming and revealed a dark side to both ends of the political spectrum.
In the aftermath of the fire erupting in the state, online reactions were mixed between support and stupidity. The far-right tried to claim that the fires were started by arson in a convoluted left-wing conspiracy as retribution for the standoff at the border, while more extreme theories referenced space lasers and a deep-state attempt to destroy Texas. On the left, bots and trolls treated it as a chance to make political points against a majority-Republican Panhandle population. I hope it was bots, as the idea of any actual human saying these things is almost too much to bear. Other trolls went as far as to say that President Biden shouldn’t send federal aid to the state in order to punish it.
For both parties, this type of rhetoric is not only idiotic but outright harmful. The idea that innocent people and fellow citizens don’t deserve aid or even sympathy because of their voting preference isn’t just enraging and disgusting, but also violates one of our country’s core values: the right to vote. Additionally, implying that all of this is some crazy government conspiracy only further enrages groups that are known to be violent and thick-headed when it comes to expressing radical ideas. Though these accounts are the minority, they are a loud and hateful one, pouring metaphorical gasoline on an already tragic situation.
It’s something that Texans, unfortunately, are used to. During the freeze of 2021, millions of Texans suffered power outages and frozen pipes in one of the worst disasters in state history. In addition to (justified) criticism of ERCOT, people from outside the state were downright abusive toward Texans, offering relentless jokes about Ted Cruz and making fun of victims for not being able to handle cold weather rather than providing support in their time of need. While it is true that certain elected officials like Governor Greg Abbott and Cruz deserve criticism, the middle of a disaster should be the last place in which people try to make them. The activism and goodwill ended as soon as there was a political point to be made, treating victims as “undesirables” or creating conspiracies against current leaders rather than helping people in their lowest moments.
Smokehouse Creek has taken the most attention, but it isn’t the only blaze scarring the Panhandle. The Windy Deuce Fire started on the same day as the Smokehouse Creek blaze and has already burned nearly 145,000 acres. The Grapevine Creek Fire also began on the 26th, burning another 35,000 acres in Gray County. A new fire, the Roughneck Fire, lit up on March 3 and required the evacuation of Sanford: a community of 163.
In total, over 1.2 million acres have burned across the Panhandle. To put that number into perspective, the combined area of the three fires is bigger than urban areas such as Houston, Beijing, Mexico City, London and more. Per FOX Weather, the Smokehouse Creek fire is large enough to stretch from New York City, NY, to Philadelphia, PA.
As a resident of Sweetwater — a town around four hours southeast of Amarillo — I’m no stranger to wildfires. The 2011 fire season was one of the worst in memory, burning over 4 million acres over seven months. I vividly remember scenes of hazy sunsets and mesquite-scented air blown in from distant fires before hearing nightly reports from local news. It was a terrifying time which people of that area know too well, and seeing images of the Smokehouse Creek fire’s destruction caused me to choke up and relive those days all over again.
If there is a silver lining to this disaster, it’s that it’s happening in one of the least densely populated places in the state. However, the loss of animal life could be outright catastrophic. The Panhandle is home to over 10 million cattle, accounting for 85% of the state’s total. Even if most of the animals are saved, the losses of grass and hay will cause a devastating ripple effect across the industry.
The fires will do more than change the landscape of the Panhandle; they should also change the landscape of Texan politics. Government leaders must start addressing climate change and figuring out solutions before these disasters become commonplace. However, when looking at reactions to the fire and its catastrophic effects on the Texas landscape, we must note the need for relief over rhetoric.
The state will investigate the cause of the fire and ways to mitigate future blazes. Lawmakers will discuss climate change and its effects on Texas and the world. The communities of Canadian, Plemons, Fritch and more will rebuild — but it won’t be today. There’s a time and a place for politics, and right now in the Panhandle is neither.
Regardless of whether or not you agree with someone’s political opinions, you can’t ignore their need in the time of this — or any — tragedy. Not every tragedy needs to become a political talking point. If it does, it should only become one after everyone has been helped. A tornado will not avoid your house just because you wave a MAGA flag on your porch, just as a flood won’t spare your car just because you have a Biden-Harris bumper sticker. Disasters don’t care about politics. In times like these, neither should we.
