It has spread across more than 1 million acres and is only 15% contained.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire is the largest wildfire in Texas history.
Two people have been killed and thousands of cattle destroyed.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history, has spread across more than 1 million acres and is only 15% contained. The fire has killed two people and destroyed thousands of cattle. It threatens to worsen with strong winds mixed with dry conditions this weekend.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has spread across more than 1 million acres and is the biggest Texas wildfire on record. It is only 15% contained.
Four other fires are currently burning in the Texas panhandle: Windy Deuce Fire, Grape Vine Creek Fire, Magenta Fire, and 687 Reamer fire.
Two people have already been killed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire and thousands of cattle have been destroyed. The blaze is threatening to worsen with strong winds mixed with dry conditions this weekend.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued elevated risk of fire activity for Saturday in a wide swath of the region, including Texas Panhandle, with critical threat in that area.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the Smokehouse Creek Fire has become the biggest Texas wildfire on record when in fact it was already a record-breaking fire before this weekend's weather conditions worsened it further. Secondly, while the article mentions other fires burning across Texas and Oklahoma, they are not mentioned again throughout the rest of the article except for one sentence at the end which states that four more fires are burning in addition to those already mentioned. This is deceptive as it implies that only two or three fires were currently scorching Texas when in fact there were five blazes active at the time of writing. Thirdly, while the article mentions several deaths caused by the fire and its impact on livestock, crops and equipment, it does not provide any specific numbers for these losses which is deceptive as it implies that no such information was available when in fact this would have been a crucial piece of information to include. Finally, while the article states that state officials are investigating the cause of the fire and trying to figure out what caused it to ignite, they do not provide any specific details about their investigation which is deceptive as it implies that no such investigation was taking place.
Four more fires are burning in addition to those already mentioned
No specific numbers for losses caused by the fire and its impact on livestock, crops and equipment were provided
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has become the biggest Texas wildfire on record
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains several examples of an appeal to authority fallacy. The author cites the National Weather Service and the Storm Prediction Center as sources for information about weather conditions and fire risk. However, these organizations are not experts in wildfire management or prevention, so their opinions should be taken with a grain of salt.
The article states that 'the deadly inferno has also destroyed 31,500 acres in Oklahoma.'
The article cites the Storm Prediction Center as saying that a wide swath of the region is under an elevated risk of fire activity on Saturday.
Bias
(85%)
The article reports on the ongoing wildfire in Texas and its impact on the state's cattle industry. The author uses language that dehumanizes those affected by the fire, such as describing homes and businesses as 'completely gone'. Additionally, there is a lack of diversity in perspectives presented in this article.
The fires are tearing through the panhandle, which is home to 85% of the state's cattle industry. The blaze has already killed thousands of cattle and has taken out other livestock, crops and equipment.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the threat of worsening wildfires in Texas due to dry weather and fierce winds. The authors are Zoe Sottile, Dalia Faheid, Camila Bernal, Zoe Todd and Christal Hayes.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article discusses Cindy Owen and Joyce Blankenship who are both members of the cattle industry in Texas. Additionally, Greg Abbott is mentioned as a political figure that may have ties to the cattle industry or other interests related to wildfires.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has spread across more than 1 million acres and is the biggest Texas wildfire on record. It is only 15% contained.
Two people have already been killed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire and thousands of cattle have been destroyed. The blaze is threatening to worsen with strong winds mixed with dry conditions this weekend.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued elevated risk of fire activity for Saturday in a wide swath of the region, including Texas Panhandle, with critical threat in that area.
Accuracy
The Texas fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in the Lone Star State
A map shows the fires located throughout the state's rural Panhandle area with some blazes crossing into western Oklahoma. The largest fire is Smokehouse Creek Fire and it has grown to an estimated 1.078 million acres as of Friday morning.
The town mayor said dozens of homes in Fritch have been destroyed in this week's blazes
One family in Fritch told CBS News that their home was burned to nothing but ash.
Deception
(50%)
The article is misleading in several ways. Firstly, it states that the fires are burning throughout the state's rural Panhandle area with some blazes crossing into western Oklahoma. However, this statement is not accurate as only a few of the fires have crossed into western Oklahoma.
The largest of the fires, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, is located in Texas and has affected several towns in that state.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Texas A&M Forest Service said the Smokehouse Creek Fire grew to an estimated 1.078 million acres and was 15% contained as of Friday morning, without providing any evidence or citation for this information.
The largest of the fires, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, is the biggest blaze in Texas history.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a few examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the fires and their victims by referring to them as 'deadly' and 'destructive'. This is an example of emotional appeal which can be used to manipulate readers into feeling sympathy for the victims or fearful about what might happen if they don't take action. Additionally, there are a few instances where the author uses language that implies that certain people or groups are responsible for the fires without providing any evidence. This is an example of inflammatory language which can be used to incite hatred and division among readers.
In Canadian, Texas, a woman told CBS News flames spread to her family's home when a rolling, burning tumbleweed came onto the property
One family in Fritch told CBS News that their home was burned to 'nothing but ash'
The Texas A&M Forest Service said the inferno grew to an estimated 1.078 million acres
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Alex Sundby has a conflict of interest on the topics of Texas fires and Pantex nuclear plant as he is an employee at Pantex.
The Smokehouse Creek fire has scorched more than 1m acres (1,600 sq miles) across the Texas Panhandle and tens of thousands of acres in Oklahoma. It is the largest ever wildfire in Texas and the second-largest in US history according to modern fire records.
Two women were confirmed dead on Thursday as well as scores of cattle including newborn calves due to destruction caused by fire.
The impact includes acres of farmland, homes and businesses destroyed. Dozens of smaller fires are also burning across the Panhandle region north-east of Amarillo.
Accuracy
Two people have already been killed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire and thousands of cattle have been destroyed. The blaze is threatening to worsen with strong winds mixed with dry conditions this weekend.
Deception
(30%)
The article is misleading in several ways. Firstly, it states that the Smokehouse Creek fire has scorched more than 1m acres or 1600 sq miles across Texas and Oklahoma. However, this information is incorrect as per modern fire records.
Where is the fire? The Smokehouse Creek fire has so far scorched more than 1m acres – 1,600 sq miles – across the Texas Panhandle, as well as tens of thousands of acres in Oklahoma. It stretches over an area larger than Rhode Island, making it the largest ever wildfire in Texas.
What has the impact been? Two women in Texas were confirmed dead on Thursday, as were scores of cattle including newborn calves. The destruction includes acres of farmland, homes and businesses.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the Texas A&M forest service and National Weather Service data without providing any context or analysis of their findings. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by stating that it is too early to determine if climate change is responsible for the wildfire, when in fact there are many factors contributing to its spread. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the victims of the wildfire by referring to them as 'scores' rather than people. Additionally, there is a clear emphasis on the economic impact of the fire, with mentions of property damage and lost cattle.
The destruction includes acres of farmland, homes and businesses.
Two women in Texas were confirmed dead on Thursday
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest found in the article. The author has a financial tie to Maxar Technologies/Reuters as they provided video footage for the article.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
– video — Amarillo, Texas―
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Texas wildfire as they are reporting for The Guardian which is owned by Maxar Technologies/Reuters. This company provides satellite imagery and data to firefighters and other emergency responders.
`We are heartbroken by this devastating fire` - statement from the owners of the Turkey Track Ranch
Accuracy
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has spread across more than 1 million acres and is the biggest Texas wildfire on record. It is only 15% contained.
`Two people have already been killed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire and thousands of cattle have been destroyed.` The blaze is threatening to worsen with strong winds mixed with dry conditions this weekend.
The town mayor said dozens of homes in Fritch have been destroyed in this week's blazes, according to the Associated Press.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the owners of the ranch claim that about 80% of pastures, plains and creek bottom vegetation had been destroyed. However this statement contradicts information provided by Icon Global which states that Turkey Track Ranch was one of the original ranches in Panhandle and has an extensive Native American history. This suggests that there is a possibility that some parts of the ranch were not affected by the fire, therefore it's unclear if 80% of pastures, plains and creek bottom vegetation had been destroyed or not. Secondly, the article states that Turkey Track Ranch was overrun by Smokehouse Creek Fire which is one of several wildfires blazing through Panhandle. However this statement implies that other ranches in the area were also affected by these fires, but no mention is made about them in the article. This suggests a selective reporting and lack of detail on all aspects of the situation, making it difficult to understand the full extent of damage caused by wildfires in Panhandle.
The owners claim that 80% pastures, plains and creek bottom vegetation had been destroyed. However this contradicts information provided by Icon Global which states that Turkey Track Ranch was one of the original ranches in Panhandle and has an extensive Native American history.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it mentions that the Turkey Track Ranch was one of the original ranches of the Panhandle and has a Native American history. This does not provide any evidence for or against any claims made in the article, but rather serves as an attempt to establish credibility based on past events. The second fallacy is inflammatory rhetoric when it describes the fire as being 'largest and most destructive' in Texas's history, which may be true but also adds a sense of urgency and importance that could influence readers without providing any evidence for or against this claim. Finally, there are several instances where the article quotes people making statements without providing any context or analysis of those statements. For example, it mentions that two people have been confirmed dead but does not provide any information about how they died or what their relationship to the fire was.
The Turkey Track Ranch was one of the original ranches of the Panhandle and has a Native American history.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement from the owners of the Turkey Track Ranch stating that about 80% of their pastures, plains and creek bottom vegetation had been destroyed. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that nature has some sort of divine purpose or meaning.
In a statement, the owners said an early assessment indicated that about 80% of "pastures, plains, and creek bottom vegetation" had been destroyed.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Joshua Zitser has a conflict of interest on the topics of Turkey Track Ranch and loss of livestock and crops as he is an owner of Icon Global which owns Turkey Track Ranch. He also has a personal relationship with West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department who helped fight the Smokehouse Creek Fire, one of the largest wildfires in Texas history.
$180M ranch gutted by fire
Joshua Zitser is listed as an owner of Icon Global on their website which owns Turkey Track Ranch. (https://www.iconglobalincorporated.com/about-us)
West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department helped fight the Smokehouse Creek Fire, one of the largest wildfires in Texas history and Joshua Zitser has a personal relationship with them.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article discusses a ranch owned by Icon Global and mentions West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department which may have an affiliation with them. Additionally, the article talks about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden who are likely to be involved in policy decisions related to wildfires.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden are discussed
The article discusses a ranch owned by Icon Global
West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department is mentioned in the article
