Texas Lawmakers Discuss Wildfire Response and Prevention Efforts in Plainview

State representatives meet with reporters to address recent wildfires in the Texas Panhandle region.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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In the aftermath of a week of wildfires across the Texas Panhandle, West Texas state representatives met with reporters at the Plainview Country Club on February 23 to discuss the issue of wildfires and the actions being taken to help prevent and respond to them. The panel, which included several state House representatives, praised firefighters and first responders, and highlighted legislation that has increased funding for volunteer fire departments and created a statewide database to help share resources during emergencies.

Why it matters

Wildfires have been a persistent problem in the Texas Panhandle region, with 14 major fires (over 100,000 acres) occurring since 2006. The representatives emphasized the importance of maintaining aging infrastructure, such as electrical lines, as a critical factor in wildfire prevention, as the majority of these large fires were sparked by electrical issues.

The details

The meeting took place just a week after the Arbor fire in the Seth Ward community near Plainview, which destroyed at least eight structures and displaced five families. Other recent wildfires in the region, including the 8-Ball fire in Armstrong County, the Lavender fire in Oldham County, and the Canadian Bridge fire in Hutchinson County, have burned over 32,000 acres of land. The representatives discussed legislation that has increased funding for volunteer fire departments and created a statewide database to help share resources during emergencies, as well as the need to hold utility companies accountable for maintaining their infrastructure to prevent future fires.

  • The meeting took place on February 23, 2026.
  • The Arbor fire near Plainview occurred just a week prior to the meeting.
  • The Smokehouse Creek fire, which burned over 1 million acres, happened two years earlier in 2024.

The players

Ken King

Texas State Representative who has helped pass legislation to create a statewide database for volunteer firefighters to share resources and require annual pole inspections from utilities.

Brooks Landgraf

Texas State Representative who participated in the panel discussion.

Stan Lambert

Texas State Representative who participated in the panel discussion.

Carl Tepper

Texas State Representative who participated in the panel discussion.

Drew Darby

Texas State Representative who participated in the panel discussion.

Dustin Burrows

Texas House Speaker who participated in the panel discussion.

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What they’re saying

“We've had 14 major fires since 2006, meaning 100,000 acres or more, not counting the five 10,000-acre fires like we just saw this last week. Of those 14 fires, 85% of them were started in the same location, and they were all electrical.”

— Ken King, Texas State Representative (myplainview.com)

“We don't have a wind problem. We have an aging, under-maintained infrastructure.”

— Ken King, Texas State Representative (myplainview.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This meeting highlights the ongoing challenges Texas lawmakers face in addressing the persistent threat of wildfires in the Panhandle region, with a focus on the need to improve aging electrical infrastructure as a key prevention measure.