The Wire - February 29, 2024

//The Wire//2100Z February 29, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WILDFIRE GROWS IN TEXAS. M/V RUBYMAR ADRIFT IN THE RED SEA.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Red Sea/HOA: The M/V RUBYMAR continues to sink as Houthi forces maintain some level of security or territorial influence around the stricken vessel. Recent open-source satellite imagery indicates that the vessel has been drifting for several days, despite the crew reporting to have dropped the starboard anchor prior to abandoning ship. -Homefront- Texas: An extremely large wildfire has impacted residents in the panhandle following weather conditions that have drastically increased fire activity. Overnight, the Smokehouse Creek Fire grew to over 1 million acres in size, officially becoming the largest recorded wildfire in Texas history. As of this morning, the fire is only 3% contained. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: If the RUBYMAR is dragging her anchor, it is possible that this is the cause of the recently reported damage to undersea communications cables in the region. As the exact location of submarine cables is a closely guarded secret due to security reasons, it’s not possible to confirm this with open-source methods yet. The M/V RUBYMAR is also not emitting public AIS tracking data, so verifying her position requires manual verification via satellite imagery. This morning’s Sentinel 2a pass indicated that she has drifted approximately 50 NM from her last imagery-confirmed position on Feb 24. However, substantial cloud coverage over the target area this morning greatly inhibits confirmation of her exact position. Analyst: S2A1