Update – Wednesday, 3:00 p.m.
The Potter County Sheriff’s Office shared a statement on Facebook addressing the aftermath of recent storm damage.
Officials said it has been “a devastating, long few days” and extended condolences to residents in the Dowell Road/Eagle Tree and Bishop Estates/Hills areas, where many homes were damaged and some residents have lost everything.
The Sheriff’s Office said deputies will continue increased patrols in these neighborhoods for the coming weeks to help ensure safety and prevent theft or looting. Multiple agencies, including Excel crews, first responders, and out-of-county, state, and federal fire investigators, are currently in the area assessing damage.
Residents are urged to stay alert and report any suspicious activity. If someone is seen who does not appear to belong in the area, the Sheriff’s Office asks that residents call 379-2900 with a description and location so it can be checked out.
Officials also emphasized that the public should avoid the affected areas unless they live there, noting that heavy response traffic is ongoing and the presence of non-residents can interfere with recovery efforts.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked all assisting agencies and first responders for their continued work and support.
Update: Wednesday at 12 p.m.
The Texas A&M Forest Service released an update on Wednesday morning on the final still-burning wildfire in the Texas Panhandle.
The “Landfill” Fire in Potter County was reported to have impacted 2,570 acres as of Wednesday morning and was estimated to be 75% contained.
Meanwhile, the “Hungate” Fire in Randall County (34,131 acres), the “Kress” Fire in Swisher County (1,551 acres), and the “Line” Fire in Oldham County (10,913 acres) were all considered 100% contained by the Texas A&M Forest Service by Wednesday morning.
Original post:
Emergency officials provided a clearer picture Tuesday afternoon of the wildfire response in the Bishop Estates area after a fire that began Sunday at the Amarillo Landfill spread rapidly under dangerous wind conditions, forcing evacuations and damaging neighborhoods.
During a press conference, officials said the wildfire had reached 50% containment as of 9:24 p.m. Tuesday, with firefighters continuing mop-up operations across approximately 2,559 burned acres. Authorities stressed that the situation remains hazardous even as progress has been made.
Max Dunlap, director of emergency management for the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management, opened the briefing by acknowledging the emotional toll on residents displaced or impacted by the fire.
“Before anything else, I want to acknowledge what a stressful and trying time this is,” Dunlap said. “Our thoughts, our prayers, and well wishes are for those affected with you, and we are in this together with you guys.”
The wildfire affected portions of Bishop Estates, Two Deer Creek, Eagle Tree, Quail Canyon and Silver Pointe, among other nearby communities. Officials said firefighters had successfully stopped the fire’s forward movement near FM 1061.
“At this time, firefighters remain mostly treating hot spots. The fire was stopped at 1061, so no further movement on the fire,” Dunlap said. “At this time, mop up operations are continuing, with roughly 2,559 acres burned.”
Damage assessments, however, are still underway. Emergency crews continue to evaluate homes, utilities and infrastructure while navigating hazardous conditions in burn areas.
“Current damage assessment teams are continuing to work through the impacted areas, due to the hazardous nature of all these areas, whether there are power lines, debris or active fire,” Dunlap said. “We are trying to be careful not to release unverified numbers before assessments are complete.”
Officials also outlined a phased re-entry process for evacuated residents Tuesday evening. Temporary access was first granted to portions of Bishop Estates and Bishop Ranches through designated checkpoints at FM 1061 and Ranch Road, as well as FM 1061 and Ranch View Drive. Residents were allowed escorted or limited access between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. to retrieve belongings and assess property damage.
Authorities required residents to present identification or proof of residency at checkpoints and emphasized that the area remained under mandatory evacuation after 9 p.m.
A second controlled re-entry phase began around 6 p.m. for residents in Two Deer Creek, Eagle Tree, Quail Canyon, Alta Vista Estates, Dripping Springs and Silver Pointe.
Officials announced that both evacuation shelters closed Tuesday evening, though residents unable to return home were encouraged to call 211 for assistance with temporary or long-term housing.
Dunlap urged residents not to remain in homes lacking power, heat or safe living conditions.
“They had contracts that can allow long-term housing for those affected and to take advantage of that service,” he said.
Safety concerns remain significant throughout the burn zone, particularly with damaged utility infrastructure. Officials reported multiple burned power poles and warned residents to avoid downed or sagging power lines.
“Our role is to support the emergency response and restore power safely to the neighborhoods as conditions allow,” said Chester Brown, director of operations for Xcel Energy. “Throughout the event, we’ve been coordinating with OEM, fire and law enforcement officials and supporting public safety.”
Brown said crews have been repairing damaged poles, lines and electrical equipment while gradually restoring service. Power had already been fully restored to Eagle Tree neighborhoods by Tuesday afternoon.
Potter County Sheriff Brian Thomas said deputies and emergency crews were doing everything possible to safely reopen affected areas while supporting residents emotionally as well as physically.
“We also have two chaplains out there for anyone who has lost their home or something of that nature and need counseling,” Thomas said.
“The biggest thing I can tell you is to be very careful,” he added, warning residents about the large number of emergency vehicles and utility crews still operating in the area.
Fire officials described the difficult conditions responders faced Sunday as the fire spread amid intense winds.
“Since about 4 p.m. Sunday, our department, along with Amarillo Fire Department and Texas A&M Forest Service under a unified command have had fire equipment on the scene 24 hours a day monitoring conditions and making sure that we had responders on the scene,” said Richard Lake with Potter County Fire-Rescue.
Lake said the fire erupted during “the worst time of the day” and under some of the strongest winds crews had encountered, making containment efforts extremely difficult despite having fire apparatus already on site.
Questions during the briefing also focused on the Amarillo Landfill, where the original fire began Sunday. Assistant City Manager Donny Hooper said landfill crews responded immediately after discovering the fire and brought in specialized contractors from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area.
“A landfill fire burns down instead of burning up,” Hooper explained. “So we have special techniques that we want to use for that.”
According to Hooper, specialized equipment from two states arrived within 12 hours to help crews combat the underground fire, which can smolder for extended periods once it moves below the surface.
Officials said they still do not know what sparked the landfill fire and may never determine an exact cause. Hooper noted that possibilities include a chemical reaction or improperly discarded batteries such as lithium-ion or vehicle batteries.
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