Wildfires raging in North Texas have killed at least one personas firefighters battle to contain one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history, according to local media.

Just 3% of the Smokehouse Creek Fire, an area known for its valleys, has come under control. The huge fire, which is spreading due to gusty winds and unseasonably high temperatures, has already burned 3,440,000 hectares.

In the small town of Stinnett an 83-year-old woman dieda Hutchinson County official told the media Wednesday night, adding that at least 20 buildings have been destroyed.

About 100 kilometers further east, in Canadian City with about 2,300 inhabitants, “many houses have burned”according to Mayor Terrill Bartlett, but “fortunately no one was seriously injured.”

As pointed out by CNN meteorologist Chad Myers, the fire is burning two football fields per second.

In total five fires are raging in Texas and have burned more than 4,040,000 acres.

The Amarillo weather service announced yesterday that a drop in temperature is expected but also “of the intensity of the winds”something that will help firefighters, as authorities hope.

In Borger City, authorities released images of areas still smoking, destroyed by fire. They pointed out that they have set up a shelter for the displaced.

Evacuation orders have also been issued for much of the neighboring town of Fritzwhere many households do not have water and electricity.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared 60 counties a state of disasterwhile a nuclear weapons production facility near Amarillo was briefly shut down yesterday due to the fire.

US President Joe Biden has been informed of the situation and the White House is in contact with Texas authoritiessaid his representative Karin Jean-Pierre.

Record temperatures for February were recorded in some US and Canadian cities this week. According to experts, in addition to climate change, the El Nino phenomenon is also responsible for the higher than normal temperatures.