Triple-digit temperatures, strong winds and bone-dry vegetation are the perfect ingredients for devastating wildfires, a record 24 of which continue to sweep across Texas, claiming at least dozens of homes and damaging many more.
The two dozen fires have burned 7,774 acres from central to east Texas and as far north as Walnut Creek, about 100 miles north of San Antonio.
With warnings of excessive heat and little rain forecast over the next 10 days, the blazes are expected to claim more property as they approach urban areas.
No fatalities and only minor injuries were reported.
Bruce Purcell and Beth Key’s property was destroyed by wildfire in Chalk Mountain this week
Gov. Greg Abbott urged Texans to watch out for wildfires during the summer heatwave, which has seen temperatures hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The state of Texas remains steadfast in our ongoing coordinated response to assist Texans and communities affected by or at risk of wildfires,” Abbott said. “As we continue to use all available resources in response to widespread fire and drought conditions, Texans are encouraged to remain vigilant and weather aware to protect themselves and loved ones from dangerous wildfires.”
Last week, Abbott renewed disaster area declarations for the 72 counties affected by the fires. A drought disaster declaration was renewed for 189 counties in the state.
A DC-10 and two MD-80s dropped 60,000 gallons of flame retardant onto the Chalk Mountain fire
Residents living near the Chalk Mountain wildfire were evacuated to a FEMA shelter set up at the Somervell County Expo Center, which has stalls for livestock
More than 115 firefighters were deployed to battle the various blazes that destroyed 7,700 acres
The largest fire, the Chalk Mountain fire that broke out Monday near Glen Rose, Texas (population 2,653), has reduced 10 square miles of scrub, grass and juniper to ash and is only 10 percent, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service contain.
Red-hot embers from burning treetops floated 200 meters in the air, widening the path of the dangerous fire.
Brandon Purcell and Beth Key quickly gathered family photos, clothing and insulin for their son and evacuated them to the Somervell County Expo Center, where the Federal Emergency Management Administration set up camp beds for displaced homeowners and pens to protect livestock.
A map from the Texas A&M Forest Service shows the active fires, marked with red dots, scattered throughout the state
“My parents lost their house everything; My uncle lost his house, another aunt lost everything and another aunt is still fighting out there trying to keep her house. Just in my family — one, two, three, four away,” Key told WFAA News.
16 houses were destroyed and five others damaged, said fire department spokeswoman Alexandra Schwier.
The governor said the Texas Department of Emergency Management is coordinating with the Texas A&M Forest Service to bring the blaze under control.
Record temperatures, drought and strong winds created perfect conditions for wildfires
Beth Key, of Somervell County, said she took clothes, family photos and insulin for her son before fleeing her family farm
No deaths were reported, but at least two dozen homes were destroyed by the Chalk Mountain and Possum Kingdom Lake fires
He said 115 firefighters with 30 machines and four water trucks are battling the various blazes.
In addition to the high temperatures, there were winds of 10 to 20 miles per hour and a relative humidity of a dry 20 percent, making fighting the fires difficult, the forest service said.
“With these fuels, resistance to control is often high, making extinguishing efforts difficult for firefighters,” said Luke Kanclerz, a forest service fire analyst.
At Chalk Mountain, 90 firefighters worked around the clock, digging a line of containment around the northeast edge of the fire.
A DC-10 with a large water tank and two MD-80s dropped 60,000 gallons of flame retardant onto the fire’s leading edge, Schwier told the Associated Press.
Somervell County Judge Danny Chambers has issued a disaster declaration over the possibility of evacuations. A voluntary evacuation notice has been issued for the rural northwest quadrant of the county and a no-fly zone has been declared for the entire fire area.
The governor said 99% of the state was suffering from drought conditions.
The 1148 fire near Possum Kingdom Lake, about 70 miles west of Fort Worth, destroyed 500 acres and took down at least 12 homes, firefighters said.
The Forest Service used bulldozers to dig containment lines around the leading edge of the fire. Two crew members were treated for minor heat injuries and returned to service.
There was good news regarding the King Creek fire in Kaufman County, which was 85 percent contained as of Wednesday. It destroyed 452 acres.