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Some left helpless to watch as largest wildfire in Texas history devastates their town

Firefighters work through rubble of burned homes from the Smokehouse Creek fire in Stinnett, Texas on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. A wildfire spreading across the Texas Panhandle became the largest in state history Thursday, as a dusting of snow covered scorched prairie, dead cattle and burned out homes and gave firefighters a brief window of relief in desperate efforts to corral the blaze. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)
Firefighters work through rubble of burned homes from the Smokehouse Creek fire in Stinnett, Texas on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. A wildfire spreading across the Texas Panhandle became the largest in state history Thursday, as a dusting of snow covered scorched prairie, dead cattle and burned out homes and gave firefighters a brief window of relief in desperate efforts to corral the blaze. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)

By SEAN MURPHY and JIM VERTUNO / Associated Press 5 min read

STINNETT, Texas (AP) — As the largest wildfire in Texas history engulfed his town, Danny Phillips was left helpless.

“We had to watch from a few miles away as our neighborhood burned,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

In his hard-hit town of Stinnett, population roughly 1,600, families like his who evacuated from the Smokehouse Creek fire returned Thursday to devastating scenes: Melted street signs and charred frames of cars and trucks. Homes reduced to piles of ash and rubble. An American flag propped up outside a destroyed house.

Phillips’ one-story home was still standing, but several of his neighbors weren’t so fortunate.

Stinnett’s destruction was a reminder that, even as snow fell Thursday and helped firefighters, crews are racing to stamp out the blaze ahead of increased temperatures and winds forecast in the coming days.