Comanche, Hamlin business owners send resources to ranchers impacted by Smokehouse Creek fire

Ashly Ibarra
·3 min read

BIG COUNTRY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – As more than a million acres of land in the Texas panhandle continue to burn, the generous hearts of the Big Country lend their time, resources, and supplies to help.

‘Smokehouse Creek’ Fire in Hutchinson, Roberts County burns 1,076,638 acres, 15% contained

Although Kasey Noles from Comanche now works in the oil and gas industry, his roots lie in the agriculture industry.

Feeling heartbroken when he saw how large the Smokehouse Creek fire spread in the panhandle, he told KTAB/KRBC, “It looked more like a beach area than it did, or the desert, because it didn’t have any grass. It burned it all the way down, there wasn’t any ashes left.”

Disturbed by the sights of the Smokehouse Creek fire, Noles felt moved to use his business (Comanche Gas Solutions – 303 Industrial Drive) as a drop off location for the community of Comanche to donate resources for farmers and ranchers, like hay. He said his team members take turns delivering the donations.

“We are up to 20 truckloads of hay that are either on their way up there or will be. It’s the whole community of Comanche that’s kind of pitching in to help do this at the same time,” Noles praised.

Now that the Smokehouse Creek fire, as of Monday afternoon, has burned 1,076,638 acres, sending supplies is a high priority.

“That’s a tremendous amount of livestock that’s got to be fed, there’s no more grass for them to eat… In the short term, they need to continue to be able to feed those livestock,” urged Noles.

Over in Hamlin, Tucker Teague, owner of Piper Feed and Supply, also opened his business to use as a drop-off location for donations. He told KTAB/KRBC generous donors from Hamlin, Sweetwater, and Anson have dropped off all kinds of necessities and even made monetary donations.

“Water, we got food, monetary donations, we’re sending fencing supplies,” Teague listed. “We all got to band together for the next 100-200 days just to get these ranchers what they need to survive.”

On a trip to the panhandle to lend a helping hand, Teague said his heart goes out most to the people affected by the Smokehouse Creek fire.

“[I] Talked to a few ranchers the other day; they were 70 to 70+ years old, and they lost everything that they had… Herds of cattle they worked their entire life on are gone,” said Teague. “I just can’t imagine what the livestock and people are going through, and one day we’re going to need help so we just wanted to do what we could to help them.”

How Big Country residents are assisting fire efforts in the Panhandle

So far, Noles and Teage reported raising $50,000, and promised 100% of those funds to help those in need.

Donations will continue to be accepted for as long as they are needed at the following locations:

  • Comanche Gas Solutions at 303 Industrial Drive

  • Piper Feed and Supply at 423 East Lake Drive in Hamlin

Noles with Comanche Gas Solutions said he will send out trailers of supplies on the weekends.

Follow this link for more information on how to donate and what kind of donations are needed through this devastating fire.

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