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Dale Jenkins poses for a photo inside a cattle pen where he left his livestock prior to the Smokehouse Creek fires on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Canadian. “You'd be out there fighting this fire and you're all by yourself,” Jenkins said. “There's not a soul round. But you've got light from the fire line. And you're working at it and concentrating so hard and finally you get to the end you finally put up the last flames and then it's just totally dark and totally quiet is a really it's an interesting feeling.”
Panhandle Wildfires

After Texas’ largest wildfire is contained, a rancher moves on with a single calf

In testimony to state lawmakers, Dale Jenkins and his Panhandle peers shared the “hidden cost” of the wildfires.


The house committee investigating the Panhandle wildfires questions a panel of experts during a public access meeting on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Pampa.
Left: A member of the public listens during an investigative house committee hearing on the Texas Panhandle wildfires on April 2, 2024 in Pampa. Right: Derrick Holdstock of Western Fire Resources presents a slideshow to the committee.
A House Committee led by Rep Ken King, R-Canadian, holds a legislative hearing investigating the Panhandle wildfires Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Pampa.
Bobo is fed by Dale Jenkins with a bottle on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Canadian. Bobo’s mother initially survived the fires, but was unable to care for Bobo, as milk was pouring out of her and she was fixing to loose her hooves. After hooves fall off, it’s as if the cows are walking on bone. Bobo’s mom had to be taken to a packing plant following that.
Left: The pen where Dale Jenkins left 35 of his cattle is seen on April 3, 2024 in Canadian. Jenkins feels that if his cattle had not fled the pen, they might have survived the wildfires. Right: “You’d be out there fighting this fire, and you’d be all by yourself — not a soul around. But you’ve got the light from the fire line. And you’re working at it and concentrating so hard, and finally, you get to the end, you finally put out the last flames, and then it’s just totally dark and totally quiet,” Jenkins said.

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