Hope on the Range: AFT and H-E-B Bring Some Relief to Texas Ranchers After Devastating Wildfire
When the Smokehouse Creek Fire swept across the Texas Panhandle on February 26, 2024, it left behind more than scorched fields and broken fences. It tore into the heart of ranching families who have spent generations building their lives on this land. Yet even in the ashes, hope remains.
The Texas agricultural community really stepped up to help farmers and ranchers in need, including a mix of local foundations, national nonprofits, agricultural support programs, state and federal agencies, and corporate donations such as TSCRA, Texas Farm Bureau, TDA STAR Fund, FEMA, American Red Cross, USDA-FSA, Austin Disaster Relief Network, Working Ranch Cowboy Association Foundation, Amarillo Area Foundation, Community Foundation of West Texas, and more.
These efforts also included American Farmland Trust’s Brighter Future Fund, made possible by a generous donation from H-E-B's Spirit of Giving Fund. Ranchers are piecing their lives back together one fence post, one pasture, and one herd at a time. We followed up with the recipients in early July — here’s a look into their journey on the road to recovery.
Carrying on a Legacy: Gay L. Purcell Ranch
For Gay Purcell, ranching is more than a livelihood, it’s a family promise. After her husband passed away in 2017, Gay and her son, Josh, took over managing 900 acres, 75 head of cattle, and the daily grind of running a ranch.
When the wildfire consumed 700 acres of their land and destroyed miles of fencing, the loss felt overwhelming. But, with the help of a Brighter Future Fund grant, they are building new fencing and adding a livestock water tank to a pasture that survived the fire.
“I am very blessed to have been awarded a $15,000 grant,” Gay said. “This will allow me to fence an additional 80-acre pasture that can be utilized for the grazing of my beef cattle.”
A Dream Tested: Rival Genetics
For Tatum and her husband, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was nearly the end of the dream they had built together. The flames destroyed 80% of their family-run livestock farm, Rival Genetics, a show pig operation in Canadian, Texas, that also mentors youth through 4-H and FFA programs.
In the aftermath, they refused to give up. To keep their herd alive, the Swenhaugen family spread their pigs across four locations in three different counties.
“These funds will be a huge blessing to our family after losing the majority of our business in the fire,” Tatum said.
With support from grants such has Brighter Future Funds amongst others and their community, they’re rebuilding barns and farrowing houses, bringing their animals back to one location and restoring daily operations. For the Swenhaugen family, recovery isn’t just about saving a business, it’s about preserving their dream and continuing to inspire the next generation of agricultural leaders.
Starting Over: 7 Mile Cattle Co.
At just two years into running his own ranch, Cameron Underwood was hit with losses most seasoned Texas ranchers fear. The Smokehouse Creek Fire wiped out his pastureland and fencing, killed three bulls, injured horses, and destroyed critical equipment like his hay and cattle trailer.
Suddenly, Cameron was forced to lease pasture far from home and drive long hours to tend to his cattle. The costs piled up as quickly as the miles.
With grant support, Cameron is rebuilding, putting up fences, planting native grasses, and planning for rotational grazing. He’s also thinking of taking on new avenues like branded beef sales to stabilize his operation and carve out a future.
Nearly Everything Lost: ARI Cattle LLC
For Aubrie Isaacs and her husband, the fire wasn’t just a setback; it was devastation. Out of their 712 head of cattle, only two survived. Along with the herd, the flames consumed 40 miles of fencing, vehicles, tools, and nearly everything they owned to keep their 8,000-acre ranch running.
They’ve spent thousands of hours rebuilding fencing, one exhausting day at a time. Yet through the exhaustion, the grant has been a source of strength.
“This grant helped my husband and me get our feet back on the ground,” Aubrie said. “We cannot express enough thanks for organizations such as AFT that have helped financially, which in turn mentally has helped us cope with this catastrophe.”
Rebuilding, Together
The Smokehouse Creek Fire revealed both the fragility and the resilience of ranching life. These families lost nearly everything, yet they continue to rise each day, determined to rebuild.
We are happy to be a small part of what is needed in helping these Texas ranchers rebuild and recover. Through the Brighter Future Fund and many others, these ranchers have the reassurance that they’re not alone.
Because in ranching, as in life, survival isn’t just about enduring the fire. It’s about finding the strength, the community, and the hope to carry on.
