STEPHENVILLE, Texas (RFD News) — Wildfires continue impacting parts of the Texas Panhandle as crews work to contain multiple fires threatening farms, ranches, and rural communities.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller joined us on Tuesday’s Market Day Report to provide an update on current fire conditions and containment efforts across the region.
In his conversation with RFD News, Miller discussed damage to infrastructure and landscapes and addressed what farmers and ranchers in the area are experiencing as recovery efforts begin. He also spoke about the potential agricultural impact of the fires and what the rebuilding outlook could look like moving forward, including the biggest needs communities may face during recovery.
“We’re still getting an account on the structures — more than a dozen structures have been lost,” Miller told RFD News. “No human lives. There has been livestock loss. We don’t have the numbers. They’re still coming in. It’s still early to get those preliminary numbers on the livestock and the number of structures that we’ve lost.”
Before wrapping up the conversation, Miller also provided an update on New World screwworm prevention efforts. Miller said he fears the disease is inevitable after the USDA signaled that sterile fly supplies in Mexico remain limited and that they are being as strategic as possible with their release.
Donations for wildfire relief can be made at The STAR Fund (State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund) website.
