Fast-moving wildfires were spreading Friday afternoon over portions of the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, prompting evacuations, causing several car crashes amid sandstorm conditions and leaving thousands without power.

Preliminary reports showed that at least three people had died in crashes in the greater Amarillo region, according to officials there.

The wildfires were being fueled by gusty winds and dry air across a parched landscape in eastern New Mexico and Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and even portions of the Midwest. Forecasters at the National Weather Service warned that more fire outbreaks appeared likely going into Saturday.

By Friday afternoon, more than 100,000 had lost power across the Texas Panhandle region and parts of Oklahoma, according to poweroutage.us. The authorities warned that rolling blackouts were a possibility to avoid fires caused by downed power lines. In Norman, Okla., about 15 miles south of Oklahoma City, the authorities were urging some residents to evacuate.

In the greater Lubbock and Amarillo areas in Texas, Highway Patrol officials reported more than three dozen car crashes.

Sgt. Cindy Barkley with the Texas Department of Public Safety in Amarillo said that the agency was “inundated right now with crashes.” State Highway 207 between Borger, Texas, and Panhandle, Texas, was closed because of a multivehicle pileup. Preliminary reports showed that three people had died in crashes in the region, Sergeant Barkley said.

>https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/us/wildfires-texas-oklahoma.html
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