Past the terracotta canyons and sloping hills in the Texas Panhandle is a colorful, small town center. A vibrant mural of the town’s name greets visitors, the yellow and blue paint from a historic motel can be seen in the distance, and the theater’s golden lights shine on the town’s landscape.
The color starts to drain on the outskirts. Land once full of lush, green trees is a blur of black and gray. The ground is darkened by dead grass. The burnt landscape outside of town is punctuated by bright red and yellow signs warning travelers not to enter what was once a scenic route.
The difference is clear to Remelle Farrar, 68, a longtime Canadian resident. She used to show the area to visitors, touting the beauty surrounding the town.
“But all of this burned,” Farrar said.
Canadian, the county seat of Hemphill with a population of about 2,300, sits in the northeast corner of Texas’ Panhandle. One year ago, Panhandle residents watched as a flock of wildfires incinerated much of the land, killing three people, more than 15,000 head of cattle and destroying 138 structures. Among the fires was the Smokehouse Creek, which became the largest in state history, blazing through more than a million acres of land.
Miraculously, the town center was spared. But the residents nevertheless are unsettled.
Canadian stands out among many of Texas’ sma