Texas firefighters battle strong winds in bid to control huge blaze

A truck passes a warning sign about the Smokehouse Creek Fire on a highway in Amarillo (Ty O’Neil/AP)

Firefighters in Texas faced rising temperatures, strong winds and dry air in their battle to keep the largest wildfire in state history from turning more of the Panhandle into a parched wasteland.

Firefighters were focused on containing the fire along its northern and eastern perimeter, where gusts from the south west threatened to spread the flames and consume more acreage, according to Jason Nedlo, a spokesperson with the team of firefighters battling the Smokehouse Creek Fire.