Fire Disaster: Cash – Confirm – Connect

Palo Duro Presbytery: Thank you for your prayers and your envelopes of donations. Thank you to PDA for a $7500.00 grant. Thank you to the Synod of the Sun for an initial grant of $15,000.00 (approved and in the mail). Thank you to the Palo Duro Presbytery for the many checks that add up. The need is immense.

FPC Borger is responding to their community, including housing vulnerability, with so many houses burned down in their community, including the devastated Fritch. Rev. Janelle Blair reports, similar to Canadian, that World Central Kitchen is responding. The new reality of life after the fire has begun to hit.

FPC Canadian reports the Smokehouse Creek Fire this morning is 87% contained. Meals are being served around the clock. They have spent $58,000 just on food and initial needs. Their session is meeting and planning the next steps of who and how to help with resources, including money, and giving it to the front line of despair immediately. The heartache of lost cattle, euthanizing, and dealing with carcasses in large numbers is hard to deal with, physically but especially emotionally. Cooler but windy weather is in the short-term forecast. The need continues to be great.

Give Here for wildfire disaster relief

Prayer this morning: “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our triune God, you have given us the boldness to enter into the holiest by your sacrifice. We ask for your presence, your help in small and large ways, and your tender mercies to each person engaged in this disaster, beast, child, firefighter, and each one reading this note. We pray for the families who have lost everything – their homes, their ability to earn a living, or their children’s toys. We need a Savior. Lift us up, as we are dependent upon you. Thank you, O God, for the thousands of gracious gifts and for those who are sacrificing to give them. Amen.”

Partners: If your organization is supporting or responding to local efforts to include activation with the Regional VOAD Chapter, please submit a situation report or update through the VOAD Response and Status Survey or email texasval@tdem.texas.gov

Continue to share the message of CASH – CONFIRM – CONNECT:

Cash: Financial support to established relief organizations is always the most immediate, useful, and versatile way to give. Financial assistance allows relief organizations to meet urgent needs quickly.

Confirm: If you prefer to donate items instead of providing cash donations, confirm there is a need before collecting or sending donated items.

Connect: Volunteers are a critical part of a well-coordinated and well-resourced humanitarian response, but potential volunteers should not self-deploy and should confirm that they are needed before traveling to impacted areas.

If your organization is interested in donating any of these items, please email texasval@tdem.texas.gov and we will direct you to the appropriate local stakeholder for delivery.

The Texas Panhandle VOAD will be hosting a Multi-Agency Resource Center tomorrow 3/8 from Noon to 6 at the Dome in Borger. In addition, Hutchinson County United Way will be hosting an Intake Day for those impacted by the fire at the First Southern Baptist Church in Fritch tomorrow 3/8 from Noon to 6. A transportation shuttle will be available to transport those without transportation between the First Southern Baptist Church in Fritch and the Stinnett Community Center to the Dome.

Severe Weather, Wildfire Maps & Update Resources

The Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer is available at: https://public.tfswildfires.com/ *

Additional details are posted in the Texas Fire Potential Update at: https://bit.ly/TexasFirePotentialUpdate.

Please stay current with Texas fuels/fire danger products at https://ticc.tamu.edu/PredictiveServices/default.aspx and local your fire weather forecast at https://www.weather.gov/srh/.

We continue to encourage the public to call 2-1-1, visit www.211texas.org and monitor local media outlets for the identification of resources. Furthermore, it’s important to remind all local organizations offering resources, especially those related to a disaster, to add/update/delete listings https://www.211texas.org/add-or-edit-your-2-1-1-listing/

Wildfire Resources

Texas wildfires: Insurance can cover home, auto damages.

Due to the threat of Critical Fire and Severe Weather impacting the State, the State Operations Center (SOC) conducted a coordination call for the State of Texas for critical fire and severe weather. NWS Weather slides are attached to this email.

The SOC has activated to a Level II – Escalated Response Posture for Texas Wildfires and Severe Weather. All ESF’s are activated.

Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties in response to widespread wildfire activity throughout the state. Additional counties may be added if conditions warrant. Governor Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state emergency response resources to support local firefighters responding to multiple wildfires burning Texas.

On February 29, the Governor granted waivers for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as Texas continues surging all available resources to support Texans and communities impacted by wildfires across the state.

Severe Weather:

Elevated to Critical Fire Weather conditions across West Texas today.
Elevated fire weather conditions from the Big Bend to the RGV on Friday.
Slight risk area for severe thunderstorms across NW TX today and across E TX Friday.
Slight risk of isolated heavy rain/flash flooding across N TX today.

Red Falg Warnings (hot, dry, and windy) from the South Plains to the Big Bend today.

Slight risk for isolated heavy rain/flash flooding in North Texas.

Summaries:

Elevated to Critical Fire Weather conditions across West Texas today.
Elevated fire weather conditions from the Big Bend to the RGV on Friday.
Slight risk area for severe thunderstorms across NW TX today and across E TX Friday.

Slight risk of isolated heavy rain/flash flooding across N TX today.
Potential for high winds and hail.

TDEM Region 1:

Monitoring for Critical Fire Weather.

4 Wildland Fires reported in Region 1. Thursday PM

Magenta Fire 3.3K Acres 90% Containment

Grapevine Creek Fire 34K Acres 96% Containment

Windy Deuce 144K Acres 89% Containment

Smokehouse Creek 1mil+ Acres 74% Containment

Base Camps:

Borger Base Camp Canadian Base Camp

Johnson Park Jones Pavilion (City Park)

Disaster Declarations:

Carson Co. Gray Co. Hemphill Co.

Hutchinson Co. Potter Co. Randall Co.

Roberts Co. Wheeler Co. City of Amarillo

TDEM Region 2:

Monitoring Severe Weather.

Personnel supporting Region 1.

TDEM Region 3

Monitoring Severe Weather.

TDEM Region 4:

Monitoring Severe Weather.

TDEM Region 5:

Monitoring for Fire Weather.

Personnel supporting Region 1.

TDEM Region 6:

Monitoring Severe Weather.

TDEM Region 7:

Monitoring Fire Weather.

Personnel supporting Region 1.

TDEM Region 8:

Monitoring Severe Weather.

Personnel supporting Region 1.

TDEM Incident Support Team Region 1 – Working to capture in theater assets. Assets that are inbound are advised to check in with the IST.

State Operations Center: The SOC has activated to a Level II – Escalated Response Posture for Texas Wildfires. All ESF’s are activated.

TDEM Incident Support Taskforce – has 6 teams in 11 counties in Region 1 providing Emergency Operations Support, VAL Support and Support for Agency Finance.

Damage Assessment Teams on site and working the event.

Texas Department of Public Safety DPS is providing security and patrolling in Hemphill and Hutchinson Cos. 24 hr. security in Fritch.

DPS Aviation Assets in theater and providing surveillance and mapping of wildland fires.

Texas Parks and Wildlife – TPWD has boats ready for Severe Weather and potential flash flooding in North and East, Texas.

Texas A&M Forest Service – Wildland firefighting crews are actively engaged in operations in Region 1.

3 Single Engine Tanker Aircraft assigned to Childress

3 Single Engine Tanker Aircraft assigned to Dumas.

2 Large Tanker Aircraft are assigned to Abilene.

16 TIFMIS Strike Teams. 2 TIFMIS Hand Crews.

New Strike Team on stand by in Plainview for new fire starts.

Additional Teams added across the state to respond to new starts.

Coordination with the Federal Blue Team – Incident Management Team.

Centers

Wildfire Relief Monetary Donations:

Hutchinson Co.

o Hutchinson County United Way fund at the Amarillo National Bank

Gray County

o City of Pampa

Attn. Finance

PO Box 2499

Pampa, Texas 79066

Hemphill County

- For people who lost their home http;////fbccanadian.org/firehelp/

Potter County Agricultural

- Checks made payable to Potter Ag.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Attn: Potter Ag.

3301 SE 10, Building 1

Amarillo, Texas 79104

American Red Cross – Providing mobile supply distribution in impacted areas.

The Southern Baptist of Texas Convention (SBTC): Assessors are performing damage assessments on March 1. A Quick Response Feeding Unit continues to support the operation.

The Salvation Army (TSA): TSA Pampa and Borger Service Units are serving first responders and survivors with food, hydration and relief supplies in Carson, Gray, Hutchinson, and Roberts Counties.

TDEM is encouraging Affected Texans to report property damage. Share pertinent details and photos to assist emergency management officials in the preliminary damage assessment process. This does not replace reporting damages to your insurance provider. Click here

Texas A&M Public Works Response Teams has 2 strike teams in Region 1. One team is working with the City of Fritch.

Additional Strike Teams are rostered and stand by if needed.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality monitoring the weather.

The city of Fritch has lifted the Boil Water Notice.

TCEQ staff is in theater to assist with carcass disposal and debris management operations.

Health and Medical

Department of State Health Services – Emergency Medical Task Force has activated 6 EMTF’s Wildland Support Packages, 1 Extraction Module, 2 Wildland Fire Paramedics, and 2 ambulances activated for Wildland Fire Response. 3 EMTF’s on standby.

EMTF Wildland Fire Support Package Includes:

1 Wildland Paramedic Unit

1 Ambulance

1 Medical Unit Leader

4 Medical Incident Support Team Personnel have been deployed to Region 1.

A MIST Team includes but is not limited to:

TX EMTF Overhead Team staff
Incident command posts & emergency & medical operations center liaisons/support
Wildland fire support
Hospital, nursing home/assisted living center evacuations
Infectious disease response
Mass fatality response, etc.

Texas Education Agency monitoring the event.

Texas Animal Health Commission – Four Livestock Inspectors have been rostered along with additional field staff to support surveillance and animal needs assessments in the cities of Canadian and Fritch.

TAHC has begun to distribute animal agriculture focused publications addressing carcass disposal guidance, available state, and federal resources, and AgriLife supply point information.

Animal Supply Point and Animal Shelter:

Gray Co. – Pampa County Fairgrounds

Animal Supply Point and Animal Shelter:

Hutchinson Co. – 407 Industrial Blvd. Borger, Tx

Animal Supply Point and Animal Shelter:

Hemphill Co. – Canadian AH&N Ranch Supply

Texas A&M Vet Team are in theater.

Texas Animal Health Commission has 6 staff in Region 1 conducting animal assessments.

6,650 animal agriculture losses documented.

Texas AgriLife Extension – AgriLife agents assisting TAMFS and seven (7) County Extension Agents to undertake damage assessments.

AgriLife is coordinating with 26 personnel, Texas A&M Vet Team, and Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR) to bring in donation management teams and services to Pampa, Borger and Canadian Animal Supply Points.

Individuals are encouraged to photograph and document losses for both structural and livestock.

Energy

Public Utility Commission is monitoring the event. ERCOT reports available energy to meet demand.

High winds, ice, and falling limbs can cause local power outages. If you experience an outage, contact your local provider.

Public Utility Commission Outage Map – Click Here
ERCOT Grid and Market Conditions Dashboard –

Click Here

Communications:

No reported outages.

Transportation

TxDOT is monitoring the weather.

TxDOT is pretreating roads in Region 1 for possible winter weather.

Amarillo Crews are working to provide fuel to fire crews and monitoring road closures and driving conditions.

No roads closed due to the event.

Road repairs have begun in Hemphill Co.

For road closure information: Click Here