PAMPA, Texas • Wildfires continued to engulf the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma on Friday as officials were concerned warming temperatures and growing winds may elevate fire conditions going into the weekend.

The Smokehouse Creek fire, which ignited Monday, has burned through more than 1 million acres becoming the largest wildfire in state history. The fire was 15% contained as of Friday morning, officials said, a large increase from 3% the previous day.

Firefighters were stationed throughout the Panhandle and would likely be focusing some efforts on the the northwest area of the fire, forest service spokesperson Juan Rodriguez said.

“There was an increase in containment yesterday,” he said. “That percent of 1 million acres may not seem like a lot but it’s going to take a while.”

The fire — which grew in size after merging with a smaller 687 Reamer fire — is among the largest in the Lower 48 since record-keeping began in the 1980s. The West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department noted on Facebook that the fire is the second-largest in U.S. history.

Two deaths have been reported as of Thursday. Joyce Blankenship, 83, was killed in her home in Stinnett, her family said. Cindy Owens died of injuries she suffered in the fires near Pampa, according to a GoFundMe.

As the sun rose Friday, melting away any snow leftover from the day before, signs of the devastation were left behind in the fires’ tracks.

A herd of cattle grazed beneath a small windmill on a ranch bordering state highway 70 in Roberts County while dead cows lay nearby along the fence line, one of the visible contrasts of where the fire scorched land and the areas that were spared.

The region is known for its agriculture with its ranches being home to more than 80% of the state’s cattle. Officials say hundreds and thousands of cattle died in the fires. Officials haven’t declared a cause for the cluster of blazes, but the region has experienced unseasonably warm temperatures, dry conditions and gusty winds.

Gov. Greg Abbott visited in Borger Friday afternoon, speaking with local officials about what immediate and long-term assistance they need.

About 400 to 500 structures have been destroyed in the fire, according to early assessments. He said that number could rise.