As ranchers recover from the Smokehouse Creek fire, they face the agonizing choice of what to do with an unknown number of injured cattle.
Texas— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.LUBBOCK — There are burned spots on Jay O’Brien’s ranch outside Stinnett that predate the Smokehouse Creek fire.
As wildfires engulfed the Texas Panhandle in late February and early March, the world watched through social media. Videos showing cattle fleeing the apocalyptic scene were shared online, all while ranchers in the region worked to free their livestock and give them a fighting chance. The wildfires disrupted life across small towns in part of the Panhandle known as Cattle Country. Texas is home to about 11 million head of cattle, and more than 85% of the state’s cattle population is located in the Panhandle, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.While the grassy hills are good for livestock, it also makes the land a tinderbox that could go up any moment. Since 2006, five of the largest wildfires in Texas history have burned nearly 2.
When these situations happen, ranchers bury the dead cattle and treat the injured in a way that’s best for the animal. It’s a gut-wrenching decision for ranchers, O’Brien said.
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