Canyon officials expect substantial losses after Thursday wildfires

Wildfires that swept through Randall County on Thursday are expected to leave behind significant damage, according to Canyon city officials, as crews continue assessing losses and working to contain the fires.

Canyon City Manager Joe Price said the fires spread rapidly after a series of lightning strikes sparked multiple blazes in extremely dry conditions.

“This fire was pretty unique. We had an isolated thunderstorm start, and with that, we didn’t have hardly any moisture, but we had an array of lightning strikes,” said Price. “Being that we’ve had no moisture for a long time, those strikes cause most of these fires.”

Officials say the full extent of the destruction is still being determined, but structure losses are expected to be substantial. Emergency personnel from numerous agencies responded as the fires moved from rural county land toward Canyon city limits.

“There are probably 10 to 15 different divisions and agencies. We all came together as one, collaborated, and took this on together,” Price said.

Canyon Public Information Officer Megan Nantz said evacuation efforts were carried out quickly and, so far, no deaths have been reported.

“Everyone who was in the evacuation area was notified as best as possible, and we were able to get everyone out that we’re aware of,” said Nantz.

As firefighters continued battling hotspots Friday, another major concern remained west of Canyon, where a railroad trestle bridge caught fire and forced the closure of a heavily traveled rail corridor.

“That will burn for probably 48 hours. And so the travel on that track will be stopped,” Price said. “It’s the busiest line in America. There’s approximately 6 to 10 trains a day that travels that track, and that’s the bridge that caught fire.”

In a statement provided to local media, BNSF Railway confirmed that its Plainview Subdivision remains out of service because of the bridge loss.

“BNSF’s Plainview Subdivision is currently out of service due to the loss of the bridge,” the statement said. “A crew is on site working with first responders to clear the area and our teams are mobilizing to rebuild the bridge. We continue to monitor conditions closely to maintain safety. Customers in this area will continue to receive service by rerouting the traffic on an alternative route.”

Despite the destruction, city leaders praised the response from emergency crews and the support shown by the community. Residents, local businesses, and volunteers have continued delivering food, supplies, and assistance to firefighters and first responders working long hours on the fire lines.

Officials say containment efforts and damage assessments will continue in the coming days as crews work to secure affected areas and begin the recovery process.