Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders and Canyon City Manager Joe Price addressed the Amarillo City Council on Tuesday to express gratitude to Amarillo first responders who helped fight the Hunggate and Chocolate Chip fires south of Canyon. The two fires merged into one large wildfire that burned across Randall County and threatened the City of Canyon before crews were able to stop its forward progress. Officials described it as a fast-moving incident that required immediate mutual aid response.
The fire resulted in significant damage, destroying seven homes, three structures, and 13 outbuildings. Five additional homes sustained major damage as the blaze burned 62 square miles in Randall County. Officials noted the scale of the burn area made coordination between agencies critical during the incident. Officials said the rapid spread was driven by dry conditions and strong winds in the region.
Hinders said dry lightning strikes were reported in Randall County and that the fire was moving toward the City of Canyon in 40 mph winds. The Amarillo Fire Department played a key role in stopping the fire before it reached the Canyon city limits. Amarillo police also assisted by closing highways when conditions became hazardous.
During the Amarillo City Council meeting, Price praised the coordinated response from multiple agencies and emphasized the importance of mutual aid between neighboring communities.
“I want to especially recognize Fire Chief Jason Mays, his command staff, his firefighting team, and the entire Amarillo Fire Department team. Their response, professionalism, expertise, and willingness to support our neighboring communities in these dangerous conditions, as they were, demonstrated just how great a team that you have here at Amarillo Fire,” Price said. “They helped us get through some very challenging circumstances.”
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