N.L. "Boss" Winter, 105, and his daughters, Marie Hogue, left, and Betty Rash Whigham, visit the burned remains of the home where he grew up in Stonewall County, Texas, on Tuesday. The home, which stood since 1910, burned in a massive wildfire last week. Story
Video: Firefighter: "A lot of fire and not enough of us" -- [excerpt] "..Just last week alone more than a million acres burned.
The Texas Forest Service say they have more than a thousand firefighters including some Texas National guardsman on the front line of these wildfires doing everything they can to get them under control.
More than 230 wildfires across the state have broken out in just the last week.
Abilene Regional is the only airport in the entire state firefighting aircraft are flying in and out to fight these fires.
In one day alone pilots flew 209 hours in the air and dumped over 300 thousand pounds of fire retardant.
The Texas Forest Service say these fires started from either lightning, illegal burning, pipe cutting, and suspected arson...." [end excerpt]
West Texas ranchers lose cattle, livelihood to fires [excerpt]"....At least 40 homes have been destroyed by the flames. No people have died, but the fires have killed at least 151 head of cattle and nine horses and laid waste to thousands of acres of grasslands -- a precious resource for the region's ranchers.
The Rock House fire advanced 30 miles in a matter of hours, overtaking the town of Fort Davis and the ranches beyond it.
Some ranchers in the area lost up to 95 percent of their land to the flames, said Logan Boswell, the Jeff Davis County extension agent tracking livestock affected by the fires.
Between 400,000 and 500,000 cattle have been injured by the fire but survived, he said.
Flames even singed McKnight's eyebrows and hair as he, his wife and friends from the fire department in neighboring Valentine fought the blaze encircling his home for hours.
"It was a little scary, but when your house is behind you, it kind of feels like the Alamo," McKnight said.
Although the efforts saved his house, the blaze destroyed McKnight's 100-year-old childhood home nearby.
The flames blackened the southern half of the 1,000-plus-acre ranch his family has owned for generations. Three of his horses died, but his cattle were spared.
Elsewhere, the blaze took a similarly random path. On some streets, homes untouched by the fire stood next to properties gutted to their skeletal frames. [end excerpt]
Near Gorman, TX
Crews battle destructive wildfires in East Texas [excerpt] LUFKIN, Texas — West and Central Texas hasn't been alone in enduring destructive wildfires.
At least one home has been destroyed in wildfires dotting the Piney Woods of East Texas.
A statement from the Texas Forest Service says the one home destroyed was in a seven-acre fire in Nacogdoches County that threatened 20 to 30 homes in a pine plantation before firefighters tamed it.
About 100 miles north of Houston, Trinity County saw a pair of forest fires with flames moving from treetop to treetop. [end excerpt]
Austin fire: 1 charged in fire ".....Firefighters across the state have been battling wildfires for weeks, and Gov. Rick Perry on Sunday appealed to President Barack Obama to declare the state a major disaster area, as fires have struck or threaten all but two of the state's 254 counties...."
About 100 firefighters responded to the Oak Hill fire Sunday. Above, Lake Travis firefighter Nick Biagini douses a destroyed home on Callbram Lane. Below, another home on the street.
Perry Requests Disaster Declaration From President"AUSTIN -- In a letter sent to President Barack Obama late Saturday afternoon, Gov. Rick Perry requested a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Texas as a result of widespread wildfires and continuing fire danger across the state. The governor identified 252 Texas counties presently threatened or impacted by wildfires. Since the wildfire season began, Texas has responded to 7,807 fires across the state that have burned more than 1,528,714 acres and destroyed 244 homes. Rescue efforts have saved 8,514 threatened homes.
“Texas is thankful to the brave men and women across the state who are battling these fires on the front lines and providing support to wildfire victims,” said Gov. Perry. “As wildfires continue to rage across our state, Texas is reaching its capacity to respond to these emergencies and is in need of federal assistance. I urge President Obama to approve our request quickly so Texans can continue receiving the resources and support they need as wildfires remain an ongoing threat.”
A Major Disaster Declaration makes the state eligible for response and recovery assistance from the federal government. Texas’ request includes: • Direct Federal Assistance including aviation assets and wildland, structural and wildland/urban interface firefighting resources to state and local agencies in support of firefighting operations, and • Emergency Protective Measures – measures taken before, during and after a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and protect improved public and private property.
The governor issued an Emergency Disaster Proclamation on Dec. 21, 2010, which was renewed on Jan. 19, February 17, March 18 and April 15. This proclamation remains in effect as extreme wildfire conditions persist. [end excerpt]
More explosive fire potential expected in W Texas [excerpt] DALLAS — Texas forestry officials say the potential for wildfires was expected to remain explosive in West and northwest Texas.
A Texas Forest Service statement says winds of 20-25 mph and gusts to 35 to 40 mph was expected across West and northwest Texas, including the rolling plains of the upper Brazos Valley south to the Edwards Plateau. Those areas will also see relative humidity readings in the single digits.
A breezy Monday also was expected in East and South Texas, but explosive wildfire potential was expected as humidity readings were expected to reach the 30 to 50 percent range. [end excerpt]