We landed in the Texas panhandle this morning to news that wildfires have scorched 650,000 acres here since Sunday.
To be honest, I've been having a hard time wrapping my head around that figure. It's just too massive to comprehend.
As we chased the fires this morning, we drove some 60 miles from Amarillo to Borger to Pampa to Miami -- the land was charred as far as the eye could see. And what we've seen is only a fraction of what has burned.
Which brings us to Miami. This is a town of 588 people along Highway 60. The wildfire has reached the northern ridge of this town and dozens of firefighters are battling the rugged terrain to keep the flames from rolling in.
High winds blow the smoke over the ridge into Miami. Residents might not be able to see the low-moving flames, but they can smell the danger. I was standing on top of the ridge watching the firefighters work and right behind me you could see the town where some residents have put sprinklers on their rooftops.
West Texas wildfires are fast-moving. I can't emphasize that enough, and you probably have to see a wildfire erupt to get a true sense of how quickly they can move. We saw flames rise from the smoldering ground twice in 15 minutes. Firefighters were able to smother them quickly because they were close by.
So for now, the town of Miami is safe. But the volunteer firefighters on patrol here aren't letting their guard down.
