February 27-28, 2024 -- Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas

Towering columns of smoke approached an 80,000-acre ranch outside of Stinnett, Texas, Tuesday, where employees stayed behind to move cattle out of the blaze's path, a ranch worker's spouse told CNN.

“We cut the fences and unfortunately had to get out due to firefighters having to go save communities," said Katlyn Butler, whose husband works at Turkey Track Ranch.

Ranch workers had no time to evacuate livestock as the rapidly growing Smokehouse Creek Fire tore toward them.

Video shared by Butler shows a group of cattle running in the opposite direction of plumes of glowing smoke and fire. They trampled over tufts of brittle, dry grasses that may serve as more fuel for the wildfire.

“We’ve lost cattle. Not sure what is alive and isn’t," Butler said.

The blazes "still have enough fuel to keep going," National Weather Service Amarillo Meteorologist Christian Rangel told CNN Tuesday night.

“We have had a high wind and fire event go through ... (and) right now at our office, we are getting gusts up to 35 mph,” Rangel said, adding the winds have switched directions -- something forecasters had warned would happen and could help flames expand in a different direction.

There have been reports of damage, including burned structures, in the areas that are under fire warnings and had to be evacuated, Rangel said.

Winds will be strong until early Wednesday morning and humidities should begin to rise Tuesday night, he added.

“Wednesday we are not outlooked for critical fire weather conditions,” Rangel said. 

In a Facebook post Tuesday evening, the city of Fritch — roughly 30 miles northeast of Amarillo — warned residents who were south of Highway 136 to "EVACUATE NOW," warning the flames had jumped the road.

City officials also urged residents not to use a lot of water to help with firefighters' efforts to battle the flames.

"Pressure is down on the city water wells due to loss of electricity. We are currently working to resolve this issue. PLEASE keep water usage to a minimum, so we can keep pressure up enough to fill fire trucks," officials said in a post.

Authorities in at least two Oklahoma counties are also asking residents to evacuate after a wildfire in Texas jumped the state line, an Oklahoma official told CNN Tuesday evening.

“There are evacuation orders currently in effect for Roger Mills and Ellis counties," Oklahoma Emergency Management spokesperson Keli Cain said. "The fire in Roger Mills County is the fire that crossed over from Texas."

The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which has burned through 250,000 acres so far, is believed to be the blaze that crossed over.

“Earlier in the day there were additional evacuations in Texas and Beaver counties in the Oklahoma panhandle," Cain added.

The Crawford, Oklahoma, Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue encouraged all residents from Durham west to the state line and north of Durham "to evacuate due to large wildfire and expected wind change,” in a post on Facebook. Crawford is in Roger Mills County.

The Crawford, Oklahoma, Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue encouraged all residents from Durham west to the state line and north of Durham "to evacuate due to large wildfire and expected wind change,” in a post on Facebook. Crawford is in Roger Mills County.

The ongoing wildfires have been largely driven by high winds and dry air. And high wind warnings and red flag warnings remain in effect in the region until 8 p.m. local time.

"The Texas A&M Forest Service reports that several large wildfires ignited yesterday under warm, dry, and windy conditions across the Texas Panhandle," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "Strong forecasted winds will likely impact these wildfires, causing them to grow larger. There is a possibility for wildfire activity to occur where an abundant amount of dormant grasses are present on the landscape in areas near and around them, including the Panhandle, South Plains, Texoma, and Permian Basin regions."

Parts of East Texas are also under increased wildfire risk, he said.

Now, there's a mix of good and bad news coming up.

A cold front that's pushing through the area Tuesday evening will bring cooler air and shift winds. While winds may grow weaker, they may also help spread the flames in a different direction -- they've so far been spreading eastward, and the wind change could help lead them southward.

"A cold front is rushing down from the north and for firefighters, this is a dangerous game because the wind has been out of the west all day, now the wind is out of the north," CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said Tuesday. "The firefighters, the personnel, they have to stay out of the way of that wind shift."

But the cool air also brings good news: the cold air mass pushing into the region has a much higher relative humidity than the dry air that has been feeding the fires Tuesday, which is going to limit the fire risk as the night into Wednesday gets colder.

That fire-weather threat will be much lower Wednesday, and though some gusty winds and patches of air could combine to cause concerns in southern Texas as well, the threat is expected to be brief and not widespread.

The city of Pampa said Tuesday evening it was "suggesting" a voluntary evacuation due to the threat of the raging wildfires spreading rapidly. The suggested evacuation was lifted later Tuesday night.

Pampa is roughly 50 miles northeast of Amarillo and 40 miles southwest of Canadian, where residents have been urged to shelter in place. Several blazes were raging nearby, including the Grape Vine Creek Fire and the massive Smokehouse Creek Fire, which had scorched at least 250,000 acres by Tuesday evening.

“We are now suggesting a voluntary evacuation for the City of Pampa. Go south 70 to i40 and go to Amarillo area or Clarendon,” the city said in a post earlier Tuesday on Facebook. 

The Grape Vine Creek Fire is burning in Gray County -- where Pampa is -- and has already scorched 30,000 acres. It was 20% contained Tuesday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. 

“At this time sheriffs will be going door to door to SUGGEST evacuation North of County Line Road on Highway 70,” city officials said in a Facebook post Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday night, officials said the suggested evacuation for the city was lifted, but added personnel were still fighting the flames.

"We will keep everyone informed if there are any changes," the city said on Facebook.

CNN has reached out to the mayor for further information.

In a statement on Facebook, the Canadian Independent School District said no classes will be held on Wednesday.

The nearby Smokehouse Creek Fire blaze remained 0% contained Tuesday evening.

"We will reassess tomorrow and let everyone know what the plans are for Thursday and Friday," Superintendent Lynn Pulliam said in the post. "I hope everyone is safe."

Melanie McQuiddy, the manager of a small boutique motel in Canadian, Texas, told CNN she closed down her business and evacuated town as flames approached.

McQuiddy's daughter, Brooke McQuiddy, said she has friends who got stuck in Canadian after evacuation orders went out.

She said they were told to head over to Canadian High School for shelter.

"They are at the high school football field where multiple residents are together and are literally watching the flames start to take over Canadian," she said.

"It's been rapidly, rapidly moving, " Brooke McQuiddy said right after learning that a friend's home in the outskirts of Canadian had burned down.

Melanie McQuiddy said her home is also on the outskirts of town, and she prays it's still standing. 

As for the motel -- The Last Cowboy's Court -- McQuiddy told CNN it was built in 1948 out of cinderblock with a metal roof. "There's a chance if (the wildfire) moves fast enough, it will burn around us," she said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in response to wildfire activity, saying more counties could be added.

“The State of Texas stands ready to provide support to our local partners and deploy all resources needed to protect our fellow Texans and their property. Hot and dry conditions caused by high temperatures and windy conditions are expected to continue in the region in the coming days," the governor said in a statement.

Those conditions could mean the wildfires continue to grow larger and more dangerous, Abbott added.

"Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe," he said. "I also want to thank the brave firefighters and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect their fellow Texans.”