Record winter heat, dry air helped drive Panhandle fire risk

Smoke hangs in the Canadian River Valley south of Stinnett, Texas after multiple days of wild fires Friday, March. 1, 2024. (Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune)

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Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Amarillo saw signs of possible danger in the Panhandle days before the first fire sparked. The previous week was dry and hot for February — the cities of Amarillo and Borger broke records for high temperatures as they respectively hit 83 and 85 degrees. Then a breezy cold front followed.