The drive north from Amarillo to Canadian takes about an hour and a half. The flat, yellow land eventually turns into rolling hills with mesas jutting up. Pastures are a vibrant green.
It’s almost hard to believe the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history, barreled through here in February. It started in Stinnett, about an hour north of Amarillo, and spread east to Oklahoma, burning more than 1 million acres, killing thousands of cattle, and upending hundreds of lives.
But the scars are there if you look close enough.
Charred trees still stand several feet high but will never produce another leaf. The soil in some places is spongey when you walk on it because of damage to the root system. The ground is filled in only because it’s covered with more weeds than grass.

It’ll take years for the land to fully recover and be able to support cattle grazing again in a region that accounts for 88% of cattle and calves in Texas.
Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent for Hemphill County, stood among dozens of hay bales one Friday in late May and cut samples from several. The hay came from all over the country, dropped off by the truckload in the days and weeks after the fire. The county had recently been approved for a grant that would allow Holloway and other agents to test the nutrients in it, since it was coming from unknown places. Testing is the only way to know the quality of the hay and inform ranchers in this region if they need to supplement it with feed.
“It’s like a coin. It’s two-sided,” Andy says. “There’s tragedy on one side. Then there’s a miracle on the other side. People from over 30 states have brought feed, hay, and fencing supplies. We’ve had millions of dollars that have been sent here.”
He pointed to the feed store next to the lot and recounted a story about a local 12-year-old girl who wanted to help. She walked in and placed all of her own money on the counter. It was $10.
“People in this country are so wonderful, so thoughtful, kind, and good,” he says.
Less than a mile away, his wife, AgriLife Extension agent Tanya Holloway, sat in an office wrapping up allocation of household goods to families that were affected by the fires. (She handles the personal side of natural disasters, like assisting with housing, clothing and food; he covers agricultural issues.) Three months after the disaster, donations have continued to come in.


Taylor Sheridan, the creator of television shows Yellowstone and 1883, held a benefit concert on May 6 in Fort Worth that raised $1.5 million. The money will be donated to Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Disaster Relief Fund and aid in returning life back to normal in the region. “The Panhandle fires have devastated family, friends, and fellow ranchers,” Sheridan, who is also president of 6666 Ranch, announced in a press release. “It is incumbent upon all of us to help in any way possible, as we know they would do the same for us.”
In Hemphill County, 107 structures were destroyed, including 53 homes in Canadian. Residents lost around 7,000 mother cows and 70% of the land was touched by fire. In neighboring Roberts County, Andy said, that number was 80%. Together, the counties made up nearly 900,000 acres burned.
“The estimation for replacing fences is $50 million. Just fence,” Tanya says. “That doesn’t count lost equipment, lost grass, lost herds, and the genetics that went with the herds.”
The extension service’s preliminary estimate for total losses from the fires is $123 million, according to a news release last month.
Tanya was in San Angelo for training and happened to be in a session about disaster and recovery when she heard about the fires. The day after the fire came through Canadian, she and Andy set up an office in their house. Within 24 hours, they moved to the AgriLife Extension office in Canadian setting up a generator so they’d have electricity.
Some “4-H moms” and other women in the office came to help. They started compiling a list of people whose homes had been damaged, scoured Facebook for more names, and started finding those in need places to stay. “By the time the state and federal people got here, we were more than halfway through talking to people,” Tanya said.
Though the extension office reeked of smoke, it was spared the worst, despite the fire burning up to the parking lot. The blaze continued north toward the Canadian River, damaged the Sandhills, and destroyed homes on the southeast side of the city. “It’s a thousand wonders this entire town didn’t burn because it burned all the way around it,” Tanya says.
Today, the historic downtown area still stands, even if it is a little less busy. Andy says those who work on ranches aren’t coming into town to do as much business. For those who still have livestock, most have moved them to other land outside the county to graze.

The area is ready for the return of tourists this summer, though.
In Canadian, The Bucket continues to serve daily specials like barbecue sandwiches and chicken fried steak. Chess boards and other games sit atop tables for those stopping by Brown Bag Roasters for a coffee. And moviegoers can enjoy a film at the Palace Theatre, a cinema built in 1909.
The heart of Fritch in Roberts County was also spared the worst of the damage. Just north of the city, Lake Meredith National Recreational Area had land and fences burn, but all of it is open, including all trails.
“If you came up here and looked around, you wouldn’t know there was a fire,” says Eric Smith, superintendent at the park.

Back in Canadian, another spot for visitors was untouched. The Citadelle Art Museum, with its eclectic art collection compiled by the Abraham family in the 1970s, is housed in a 1909 church-turned-mansion. Those stopping by can appreciate the stained-glass windows, a pink and red bathroom, and the original artwork for the Dec. 22 edition of The Saturday Evening Post in 1928.
“Remember that we’re still here,” says Wendie Cook, the museum’s executive director. “And the way you can help us survive and recover economically is to come visit us and spend some time.”
More signs of recovery will continue in October, when the Fall Foliage Festival occurs in Canadian. Since 1957, the town has celebrated the changing of the seasons with fall-themed family-friendly activities. According to Jackie McPherson, director of the Chamber of Commerce, there are a lot of historic homes and pretty trees in town that will be showcased.
“I’m hoping we’re going to have a bigger crowd this year,” she says. “Obviously, it’s not going to be the same. But we’re going to continue a tradition that’s been fostered and loved since the ’50s. The city of Canadian is here and stronger than before.”