'Beauty from the ashes.' Texas Panhandle recovering one year after the state's largest wildfire

The Smokehouse Creek fire tore through the Texas Panhandle early last year, burning over a million acres in just weeks. In the small town of Canadian, where the devastation was severe, residents say the heartbreak lingers and a full recovery could take years.

'Beauty from the ashes.' Texas Panhandle recovering one year after the state's largest wildfire
Ranchers, from left, Shane and Tatum Pennington walk around their Fields Ranch in Canadian, Texas on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.

The Smokehouse Creek fire tore through the Texas Panhandle early last year, burning over a million acres in just weeks. In the small town of Canadian, where the devastation was severe, residents say the heartbreak lingers and a full recovery could take years.

(Image credit: Rachel Osier Lindley)