2024 wildfire season begins in earnest for red states

Republicans in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and even Montana are facing the effects of their climate denial this week as wildfires clear the eastern red cedar, dead fuels and grasses they've failed to manage. And they're not small fires either as the Smokehouse Creek Fire Complex spreads over 1.2 million acres of the Republican Texas panhandle where sixty counties face disaster declarations.

Satellite heat detections for the Texas Panhandle show 1.2M acres of fire spread over 100 miles east to west. This perimeter is from data current thru 2/26/24, about 9pm, Central Time. #TexasFires pic.twitter.com/4h5OXq66lA

— Zeke Lunder ~ The Lookout (@wildland_zko) February 28, 2024

Polar-orbiting satellites captured high-resolution views of the fire in Nebraska as it was growing under windy and dry conditions yesterday. pic.twitter.com/3vdoeL9dZa

— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) February 27, 2024

3:11 PM CST, 2/26: Numerous #wildfires burning in #Nebraska, #Kansas, #Oklahoma, and #Texas this afternoon with critical #FireWx conditions being observed. Fires not seen on satellite are occurring in NW OK. pic.twitter.com/ThWyDJ7qbM

— Dr. Stephen Bieda III (@DrWildcatWx) February 26, 2024