By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Dust and ash hang in the air as the Bowers brothers round up cattle after the devastating wildfires burned the pastures they once grazed.
Most of the fires that tore through the Panhandle two weeks ago are either fully contained or close to it. With over 1 million acres burned, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County became the largest in state history and one of the largest in the nation.
For the Bowers brothers—Chandler, Chance and Collin—it was a fire they won’t soon forget.
Their cattle were grazing on land that stretches from Hansford County to Carson and Gray counties, running between Robertson and Hutchinson counties—right in the path of the fires.
The brothers sprang into action when the fires broke out, fighting tirelessly throughout the night to save their homes, barns and livestock.
“It was a full day of fighting fire and trying to save the structures we have. We did all we could do until the wind changed direction out of the north,” Chance said.
Flames licked the sky, and the fire raged across the land, moving quickly and consuming everything in its path.
“There’s not a whole lot you can do out here because there’s nothing but grass around here,” Chance said. “There’s no fields or anywhere else we could take cattle in that moment, the way the wind was covering the ground, and the fire took it all at once.”
The brothers began opening gates for livestock and doing what they could while hoping for the best. But that hope only went so far.
Every acre—all 40,000—burned despite their efforts and those of their neighbors who were helping.
“We lost three pastures on the north end of our ranch, and when the wind shifted, it wiped us completely out and took a lot of livestock out with it,” Chance said.
The ranch is about 20 miles from where the fires initially started.
“When the wind shifted, that’s probably the craziest I think any of us have ever seen,” Chandler said. “It felt like the end was near the way the smoke hit.”
It’s been emotionally and physically draining for the family as they assess the damage.
“We scattered out the first day and went in three different directions on the ranch to assess the damage,” Chance said. “It was pretty emotional knowing we lost a huge chunk of what we’ve been working on for the last 15 years.”
For the first time ever, the Bowers lost livestock to a wildfire. They lost 200 cattle and expect to lose more.
“We have one pasture that has 45 cows left in it, but out of those 45, there are probably only 20 that might make it,” Chance said. “We’ll probably lose it all. By the time it’s all said and done, we might be in the 225 range of cows lost.”
They were also in the middle of calving season when the wildfires broke out and have lost about 90 calves.
“It was very, very emotional to see the cows that are suffering, that are burned up so bad and can’t walk. It’s not fun having to put down some of your cows because they are suffering,” Collin said. “It’s tough to walk out there and see the year brands on those cows and know exactly when we sorted those replacements and the time we spent doing it together.”
Those are the only memories they have left as they walk through the charred remains of their pastures, the brothers confronted with the devastating sight of so much of their livelihoods gone in an instant.
“Agriculture is not built overnight. It takes a long time to get anywhere with it, and to see it go away in an instant, that’s heartbreaking,” Chandler said. “We don’t have to start over, but it’s going to be a tough couple of years getting back to where we were.”
Chandler noted they lost as many as they usually replace every year. Now they will need twice as many to recoup.
“But we’ll make it through it. We will rebuild and make it through it,” Collin said.
That hope springs in part from the outpouring of support from the agricultural community.
Before the fires were even extinguished, farmers and ranchers from Texas and across the nation were on the way to help, bringing donations of hay, feed, fencing supplies and more.
Despite facing their own losses and hardships, neighbors and friends also rallied together to lend a helping hand, embodying the servant heart of rural America.
“It overwhelms you and humbles you, too,” Collin said.
They’re thankful for the donations and the new friendships made.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Chance said. “We’re not feeding any of our own hay right now. It’s all donated hay that’s come from a lot of different places.”
That hay will help get their cattle through while the land heals.
And the Bowers brothers will saddle up, determined to pull together what’s left of their herd and face the future with faith. They are resilient, and they will rise from the ashes.
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