On February 21, 1996, Texas faced one of its most devastating wildfire outbreaks as flames swept across thousands of acres of parched grassland in six North Texas counties. With record-breaking temperatures reaching 95 degrees at DFW Airport, low humidity, and winds gusting up to 20 mph, the conditions created a perfect storm for these destructive fires.
The largest blaze near Poolville in Parker County consumed at least 23,000 acres across Parker, Wise, and Jack counties, destroying at least 41 structures and threatening between 800 to 1,000 homes along a 25-mile-long fire zone. Emergency responders worked tirelessly throughout the day, with several firefighters and two civilians requiring treatment for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
The situation was dire across the entire state, with Texas Forest Service fire prevention specialist Mahlon Hammetter declaring “The state is burning up.” Multiple major fires were reported, with particularly severe conditions in East Texas where a 150-man unit from the state forest service joined forces with U.S. Forest Service personnel and teams from four other states. Most concerning was that the state had experienced extremely dry conditions, with some areas like Midland recording only eight one-hundredths of an inch of rain since October.
More Information:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/646880880/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/02/21/Wildfires-rage-across-Texas/5219824878800/
