Texas House speaker appoints committee to investigate Panhandle wildfires

As devastating wildfires continue to burn in the Panhandle, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on Tuesday announced a new House committee tasked with investigating the wildfires' origins and evaluating the state's response to the fires.

Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, was named chair of the new Investigative Committee on the Panhandle Wildfires. King's district was hit hard by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which has burned more than 1 million acres since Feb. 26 and quickly became the largest wildfire in Texas history. By Tuesday afternoon, the fire — one of several major blazes to hit the Panhandle in the last two weeks — was 89% contained.

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Republican Reps. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock and Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi will join King on the committee, along with Jason Abraham and Ashley Cash as public members.

The five-member committee will be responsible for investigating factors contributing to the wildfires, studying the allocation of firefighting resources and effectiveness of the wildfire response, and evaluating coordination between local, state and federal entities in wildfire prevention, preparedness and response, according to Phelan's Tuesday proclamation.

“The catastrophic wildfires have left a profound mark on the Panhandle region, with the Smokehouse Creek fire the largest wildfire in our state’s history,” Phelan said in a statement Tuesday. “It is imperative we fully examine the causes and response to this disaster to ensure Texas is equipped with the proper tools to prevent and respond to future wildfires.

"In addition to wildfire prevention and response, this investigative committee will study the adequacy of recovery resources to help guarantee the needs of the community are met as they forge ahead from this tragedy. I look forward to receiving the committee’s findings and recommendations that will help us enhance the safety of Texans and their property, and I ask everyone to continue to hold those affected by these wildfires in their prayers.”

The speaker has set a deadline of May 1 for the committee to submit its findings, including legislative recommendations for preventing future wildfires and improving the state's disaster preparedness. The committee will dissolve when the 89th Legislature convenes Jan. 14, 2025.

King on Tuesday thanked the speaker for creating the committee and said he hopes the investigation will help prevent future devastation like his district has recently seen.

“I look forward to working with the committee to develop suggestions for legislation that will aide the local communities in fighting these fires, increase state response efforts and ensure that when these events occur, we have the resources in place to stop them from turning into the disasters we faced this year,” King said in a statement.

“With increasing drought conditions, this matter is more important now than ever. It is my sincere belief that through the work of this committee, the 89th Legislature can put tools in place to help our communities prepare and fight against these wildfires.”

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas House speaker appoints committee to investigate Panhandle fires