Wildfire toll climbs to 11 in Panhandle
W. Texas battles worst day of blazes on record
By DAVID McLEMORE / The Dallas Morning News
State and local firefighters battled Panhandle wildfires for a second day Monday, trying to contain wind-driven blazes that claimed 11 lives, sparked more than 160 fires and burned nearly 700,000 acres.
In what officials called the worst single day in Texas wildfire history, four people were killed in a nine-car pileup Sunday in the Panhandle on Interstate 40 just east of Groom in Carson County as thick smoke obscured the highway. Three others died in neighboring Hutchinson County when the fires racing through the prairie near Borger caught them as they fled their homes. And four bodies were discovered Monday evening near a car in a ravine in Roberts County.
Trooper Daniel Hawthorne said authorities found the car about 6 p.m. Monday. It apparently had run off a road and into the ravine. Early evidence suggested that the victims died because of the grass fires.
One volunteer firefighter from the city of Howardwick in Donley County was critically injured while fighting a fire in Gray County.
"We're still putting out some fires and conducting searches of burned-out structures and residences," said Hutchinson County Judge Jack Worsham. "We have three people killed, and we still have two missing."
Mr. Worsham estimated the fires that struck Hutchinson County destroyed about 20 to 25 buildings, mostly ranch outbuildings, and four homes.
"This drought has just made the county very, very dry and susceptible to fires," he said, noting the county sustained winds of 40 mph all day.
"At one point, we had a fire line that was 40 miles long and 15 miles wide. You just can't fight that. But it's looking a lot better today."
By Monday morning, the winds had died down, enabling fire crews to begin containing the fires with helicopters and other resources. Two large fires, one from two fires that joined east of Amarillo and another that burned 15,000 acres of the Buckle L2 Ranch in Cottle and Childress counties, remained active and growing.
Worst day on record
"The fires we've seen in West Texas since December have all been bad ones, but Sunday was the worst day we've had since we began keeping records," said Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Marilyn Gross. "Monday, the winds died down, and we've been able to put more resources in the air to fight the fires. But it's just a tinderbox out there."
The state Forest Service issued a red-flag warning for Central Texas and the coastal plain near Corpus Christi as high winds pushed into the dry conditions there, raising the risk of wildfires.
The two large fires that merged into one caused the most extensive damage. The fire near Borger covered more than 430,000 acres before merging with the fire near Groom that had burned 220,000 acres. It remains an active fire.
Low visibility from the dense smoke forced officials to close an 89-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from Amarillo to Shamrock for six hours Sunday, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Another fire near Childress on the South Plains burned 40,000 acres, and its smoke plume rose high enough to be seen in Wichita Falls, about 100 miles away.
The odor of smoke and burning grass drifted more than 200 miles toward North Texas and could be smelled as people began their Monday morning commute, according to the National Weather Service.
Some of the smaller fires are beginning to be contained, with the Oldham Boy's Ranch fire near Dumas about 95 percent contained with 13,000 acres burned.
11 major fires
Eleven major fires are still burning on about 530,000 acres in the Panhandle, the Texas Forest Service reported. Since Dec. 26, more than 10,000 separate wildfires in Texas have burned nearly 3.5 million acres in the state.
Several Panhandle towns were evacuated Sunday as a 40-mile fire line threatened, and heavy smoke enveloped other towns downwind. The state Forest Service requested additional manpower and equipment Monday from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Residents in Skellytown, Lefors, Wheeler and McLean have been allowed to return but some of the areas lost power, forest service officials said. Xcel Energy reported power outages in about 2,200 homes and businesses throughout the Panhandle. Repairs and power restoration could take three to four weeks, said company spokesman Bill Crenshaw.
In the Panhandle, humidity will remain low as will wind speeds, though winds may pick up again Wednesday. The National Weather Service forecast possible thundershowers later in the week as another cold front comes through North Texas. Rainfall, however, is expected to remain light.
Gov. Rick Perry said the state has set up a command post at Amarillo Trade Winds Airport to coordinate firefighting efforts and recovery. The Governor's Division of Emergency Management is coordinating resources for the statewide response, while the state Forest Service is leading firefighting operations in the Panhandle.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has been providing traffic control and aerial surveillance assistance. The Texas Army National Guard is providing support and remains on standby to open the Armory in Pampa for shelter if needed.
"The state of Texas is aggressively fighting these fires," Mr. Perry said. "We've got 25 aircraft available ... and four dozen bulldozer crews and 11 engine crews working to contain the fires on the ground. We owe a debt of gratitude to the hundreds of brave men and women fighting these blazes."
In the last 24 hours, the state has responded to 162 fires in Carson, Childress, Gray, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore and Wheeler counties, according to the governor's office. About 1,911 people in the affected counties were evacuated to shelters in Pampa, though most were able to return to their homes by Monday, state officials said.
Aircraft including four heavy tankers dispatched from Albuquerque, N.M., and Ardmore, Okla., flew 17 missions and dropped 5,525 gallons of retardant.
"We share in the grief of those who have lost family members and loved ones, and we offer our prayers," Mr. Perry said. "Throughout this wildfire season, communities in our state have shown strength and resolve that are uniquely Texan."
Curt Duncan, a rancher in northwest Wheeler County, said volunteers worked hours overnight to dampen rooftops and hose down yards around homes.
"It's the wildest, biggest and worst nightmare for this part of the country," Mr. Duncan said. "There's cows walking around with no hair and hundreds of power lines burned to the ground. It's a big mess."
The four people killed in the chain-reaction accident on I-40 were identified as: Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla. But the names of the three people who died near Borger on Sunday and the four found dead near their car were not immediately released Monday.
In Shamrock, in south Wheeler County, City Manager John Rhodes said a few hundred people, including some elderly and sick patients from nursing homes, were transported to shelters in school buses. Some of the nursing home residents later were moved to other facilities.
Parade will go on
But the city's near-brush with disaster won't stop the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration planned for this weekend.
Each year, about 10,000 people flock to this town of about 2,000 to celebrate Ireland's patron saint.
"The St. Patrick's Day celebration is still on," said Connie Wilson, a secretary at the Shamrock Chamber of Commerce.
Staff writer Kimberly Durnan of DallasNews.com contributed to this report.
CONTINUING COVERAGE: Extreme Wildfire Danger / Drought
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TexasStooge
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Wildfire battle continues in Panhandle
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Firefighters claimed some progress in the battle against wildfires ravaging the Texas Panhandle, but any good news was tempered by a rising death toll and the distress of evacuees returning to charred homes.
Authorities said Monday they had begun to contain some of the wind-blown fires that burned more than 1,000 square miles across the Panhandle and South Plains since Sunday.
But firefighters were bracing for the possibility of shifting wind direction and dropping humidity Tuesday as they continued strengthening the perimeter around the blazes, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service.
The fires are blamed for 11 deaths, nine firefighter injuries and the destruction of numerous structures.
The rash of fires prompted the evacuation of eight towns: Hoover, Lefors, McLean, Miami, Old Mobeetie, New Mobeetie, Skellytown and Wheeler. Many of about 2,000 people evacuated were returning to find their neighborhoods affected by power outages and ravaged by flames.
Fire evacuee Jennifer Orand returned Monday to find her doublewide mobile home in the community of Texroy burned to the ground.
"I just started crying," said Orand, 27, who lives with her husband, Shannon, about 40 miles northeast of Amarillo. "You hear all the time that people think it will never happen to you. I never thought I'd say that myself."
After a deadly Sunday in which four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway and three people died in fires near Borger, the Department of Public Safety late Monday attributed four more deaths to the fires.
Trooper Daniel Hawthorne said four men who worked for an oil drilling company had apparently left the roadway to reach their work site when their car was overcome by smoke. They abandoned the car trying to escape the fire but were overcome by flames, Hawthorne said. Their identities have not been released.
The Sunday crash victims were identified as Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla.
Three people died inside homes in the Borger area.
Bill Pfeffer, 84, and Katherine Darnell Ryan, 64, were killed inside Pfeffer's home, and 94-year-old Jack Will died in his house, the Hutchinson County Justice of the Peace Office said. Ryan was trying to help Pfeffer evacuate.
The wind shifted out of the south overnight and is expected to be in the 10-20 mph range Tuesday, said John Cockrell of the National Weather Service in Amarillo.
Winds are expected to increase to as much as 30 mph Wednesday, but the humidity will be higher than it was Sunday when flames first erupted.
"The fire danger should not be as explosive as it was on Sunday," Cockrell said.
There is no rain in the forecast this week, but there's a slight chance of rain on the weekend, Cockrell said.
Ranchers have reported losing all of their livestock, barns, equipment and fences. On one roadside, a dead cow was entangled in barbed wire, and another that had managed to break through the fence died just a few feet away.
Numbers on the amount of livestock that perished weren't immediately available, but Texas Farm Bureau spokesman Gene Hall estimated it was in the thousands.
"I think it's going to be absolutely devastating once we get out there and look," Hall said.
Firefighters continued battling Tuesday a series of fires stretching through Collinsworth, Wheeler, Carson, Hutchinson, Donley and Gray counties, called the East Amarillo Complex fire. The blaze had scorched some 652,000 acres by Monday night and was 40 percent contained, the Texas Forest Service reported.
Another wildfire in Childress and Cottle counties, called the Buckle L 2 fire, reached 45,000 acres, the Texas Forest Service said. It was 60 percent contained. The Buckle L 2 fire occurred 10 years to the day after a fire at the Buckle L ranch destroyed 17,000 acres, the Forest Service said.
In addition to the fatalities, the Department of Public Safety reported that seven firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter was hospitalized and in stable condition Monday night after a wreck in his fire truck. A ranch hand assisting firefighters was hospitalized with second-degree burns.
The total acreage of fires easily eclipsed the 455,000 acres that burned over a span of a couple weeks in December and January, when Gov. Rick Perry declared a state drought disaster.
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Firefighters claimed some progress in the battle against wildfires ravaging the Texas Panhandle, but any good news was tempered by a rising death toll and the distress of evacuees returning to charred homes.
Authorities said Monday they had begun to contain some of the wind-blown fires that burned more than 1,000 square miles across the Panhandle and South Plains since Sunday.
But firefighters were bracing for the possibility of shifting wind direction and dropping humidity Tuesday as they continued strengthening the perimeter around the blazes, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service.
The fires are blamed for 11 deaths, nine firefighter injuries and the destruction of numerous structures.
The rash of fires prompted the evacuation of eight towns: Hoover, Lefors, McLean, Miami, Old Mobeetie, New Mobeetie, Skellytown and Wheeler. Many of about 2,000 people evacuated were returning to find their neighborhoods affected by power outages and ravaged by flames.
Fire evacuee Jennifer Orand returned Monday to find her doublewide mobile home in the community of Texroy burned to the ground.
"I just started crying," said Orand, 27, who lives with her husband, Shannon, about 40 miles northeast of Amarillo. "You hear all the time that people think it will never happen to you. I never thought I'd say that myself."
After a deadly Sunday in which four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway and three people died in fires near Borger, the Department of Public Safety late Monday attributed four more deaths to the fires.
Trooper Daniel Hawthorne said four men who worked for an oil drilling company had apparently left the roadway to reach their work site when their car was overcome by smoke. They abandoned the car trying to escape the fire but were overcome by flames, Hawthorne said. Their identities have not been released.
The Sunday crash victims were identified as Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla.
Three people died inside homes in the Borger area.
Bill Pfeffer, 84, and Katherine Darnell Ryan, 64, were killed inside Pfeffer's home, and 94-year-old Jack Will died in his house, the Hutchinson County Justice of the Peace Office said. Ryan was trying to help Pfeffer evacuate.
The wind shifted out of the south overnight and is expected to be in the 10-20 mph range Tuesday, said John Cockrell of the National Weather Service in Amarillo.
Winds are expected to increase to as much as 30 mph Wednesday, but the humidity will be higher than it was Sunday when flames first erupted.
"The fire danger should not be as explosive as it was on Sunday," Cockrell said.
There is no rain in the forecast this week, but there's a slight chance of rain on the weekend, Cockrell said.
Ranchers have reported losing all of their livestock, barns, equipment and fences. On one roadside, a dead cow was entangled in barbed wire, and another that had managed to break through the fence died just a few feet away.
Numbers on the amount of livestock that perished weren't immediately available, but Texas Farm Bureau spokesman Gene Hall estimated it was in the thousands.
"I think it's going to be absolutely devastating once we get out there and look," Hall said.
Firefighters continued battling Tuesday a series of fires stretching through Collinsworth, Wheeler, Carson, Hutchinson, Donley and Gray counties, called the East Amarillo Complex fire. The blaze had scorched some 652,000 acres by Monday night and was 40 percent contained, the Texas Forest Service reported.
Another wildfire in Childress and Cottle counties, called the Buckle L 2 fire, reached 45,000 acres, the Texas Forest Service said. It was 60 percent contained. The Buckle L 2 fire occurred 10 years to the day after a fire at the Buckle L ranch destroyed 17,000 acres, the Forest Service said.
In addition to the fatalities, the Department of Public Safety reported that seven firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter was hospitalized and in stable condition Monday night after a wreck in his fire truck. A ranch hand assisting firefighters was hospitalized with second-degree burns.
The total acreage of fires easily eclipsed the 455,000 acres that burned over a span of a couple weeks in December and January, when Gov. Rick Perry declared a state drought disaster.
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TexasStooge
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Firefighters making progress in Panhandle
BORGER, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) - Firefighters claimed some progress in the battle against wildfires ravaging the Texas Panhandle, but any good news was tempered by a rising death toll and the distress of evacuees returning to charred homes.
Authorities said Monday they had begun to contain some of the wind-blown fires that burned more than 1,000 square miles across the Panhandle and South Plains since Sunday.
But firefighters were adjusting to winds that shifted out of the south and bracing for the possibility of dropping humidity as they continued strengthening the perimeter around the blazes Tuesday, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service.
The fires are blamed for 11 deaths, nine firefighter injuries and the destruction of numerous structures.
The rash of fires prompted the evacuation of eight towns: Hoover, Lefors, McLean, Miami, Old Mobeetie, New Mobeetie, Skellytown and Wheeler. Many of about 2,000 people evacuated were returning to find their neighborhoods affected by power outages and ravaged by flames.
Fire evacuee Jennifer Orand returned Monday to find her doublewide mobile home in the community of Texroy burned to the ground.
“I just started crying,” said Orand, 27, who lives with her husband, Shannon, about 40 miles northeast of Amarillo. “You hear all the time that people think it will never happen to you. I never thought I'd say that myself.”
After a deadly Sunday in which four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway and three people died in fires near Borger, the Department of Public Safety late Monday attributed four more deaths to the fires.
Four men who worked for an oil drilling company had apparently left the roadway to reach their work site when their car was overcome by smoke. They abandoned the car trying to escape the fire but were overcome by flames, Trooper Daniel Hawthorne of the Department of Public Safety said Tuesday. Their identities have not been released.
The Sunday crash victims were identified as Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla.
The three people who died Sunday in the Borger area became trapped by the fire. Bill Pfeffer, 84, and Katherine Darnell Ryan, 64, were killed inside Pfeffer's home. Ryan was trying to help Pfeffer evacuate. Jack Will, 94, died in his house, the Hutchinson County Justice of the Peace Office said.
Ranchers have reported losing all of their livestock, barns, equipment and fences. On one roadside, a dead cow was entangled in barbed wire, and another that had managed to break through the fence died just a few feet away.
Numbers on the amount of livestock that perished weren't immediately available, but Texas Farm Bureau spokesman Gene Hall estimated it was in the thousands.
“I think it's going to be absolutely devastating once we get out there and look,” Hall said.
Officials are working to stage additional firefighters and equipment to protect communities that might be threatened Wednesday, Fulkerson said.
Winds are expected to increase to as much as 30 mph Wednesday and “will not be conducive to containing the fires,” said John Cockrell of the National Weather Service in Amarillo.
However, Cockrell said the humidity will as much as two times higher than it was Sunday when flames first erupted.
“The fire danger should not be as explosive as it was on Sunday,” he said.
There's a slight chance of rain in the weekend forecast.
Firefighters are battling a series of fires stretching through Collinsworth, Wheeler, Carson, Hutchinson, Donley and Gray counties, called the East Amarillo Complex fire. The blaze had scorched some 652,000 acres by Monday night and was 40 percent contained, the Texas Forest Service reported.
Another wildfire in Childress and Cottle counties, called the Buckle L 2 fire, reached 45,000 acres, the Texas Forest Service said. It was 60 percent contained. The Buckle L 2 fire occurred 10 years to the day after a fire at the Buckle L ranch destroyed 17,000 acres, the Forest Service said.
Seven firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter was hospitalized and in stable condition Monday night after a wreck in his fire truck. A ranch hand assisting firefighters was hospitalized with second-degree burns, the Department of Public Safety said.
The total acreage of fires easily eclipsed the 455,000 acres that burned over a span of a couple weeks in December and January, when Gov. Rick Perry declared a state drought disaster.
BORGER, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) - Firefighters claimed some progress in the battle against wildfires ravaging the Texas Panhandle, but any good news was tempered by a rising death toll and the distress of evacuees returning to charred homes.
Authorities said Monday they had begun to contain some of the wind-blown fires that burned more than 1,000 square miles across the Panhandle and South Plains since Sunday.
But firefighters were adjusting to winds that shifted out of the south and bracing for the possibility of dropping humidity as they continued strengthening the perimeter around the blazes Tuesday, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service.
The fires are blamed for 11 deaths, nine firefighter injuries and the destruction of numerous structures.
The rash of fires prompted the evacuation of eight towns: Hoover, Lefors, McLean, Miami, Old Mobeetie, New Mobeetie, Skellytown and Wheeler. Many of about 2,000 people evacuated were returning to find their neighborhoods affected by power outages and ravaged by flames.
Fire evacuee Jennifer Orand returned Monday to find her doublewide mobile home in the community of Texroy burned to the ground.
“I just started crying,” said Orand, 27, who lives with her husband, Shannon, about 40 miles northeast of Amarillo. “You hear all the time that people think it will never happen to you. I never thought I'd say that myself.”
After a deadly Sunday in which four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway and three people died in fires near Borger, the Department of Public Safety late Monday attributed four more deaths to the fires.
Four men who worked for an oil drilling company had apparently left the roadway to reach their work site when their car was overcome by smoke. They abandoned the car trying to escape the fire but were overcome by flames, Trooper Daniel Hawthorne of the Department of Public Safety said Tuesday. Their identities have not been released.
The Sunday crash victims were identified as Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla.
The three people who died Sunday in the Borger area became trapped by the fire. Bill Pfeffer, 84, and Katherine Darnell Ryan, 64, were killed inside Pfeffer's home. Ryan was trying to help Pfeffer evacuate. Jack Will, 94, died in his house, the Hutchinson County Justice of the Peace Office said.
Ranchers have reported losing all of their livestock, barns, equipment and fences. On one roadside, a dead cow was entangled in barbed wire, and another that had managed to break through the fence died just a few feet away.
Numbers on the amount of livestock that perished weren't immediately available, but Texas Farm Bureau spokesman Gene Hall estimated it was in the thousands.
“I think it's going to be absolutely devastating once we get out there and look,” Hall said.
Officials are working to stage additional firefighters and equipment to protect communities that might be threatened Wednesday, Fulkerson said.
Winds are expected to increase to as much as 30 mph Wednesday and “will not be conducive to containing the fires,” said John Cockrell of the National Weather Service in Amarillo.
However, Cockrell said the humidity will as much as two times higher than it was Sunday when flames first erupted.
“The fire danger should not be as explosive as it was on Sunday,” he said.
There's a slight chance of rain in the weekend forecast.
Firefighters are battling a series of fires stretching through Collinsworth, Wheeler, Carson, Hutchinson, Donley and Gray counties, called the East Amarillo Complex fire. The blaze had scorched some 652,000 acres by Monday night and was 40 percent contained, the Texas Forest Service reported.
Another wildfire in Childress and Cottle counties, called the Buckle L 2 fire, reached 45,000 acres, the Texas Forest Service said. It was 60 percent contained. The Buckle L 2 fire occurred 10 years to the day after a fire at the Buckle L ranch destroyed 17,000 acres, the Forest Service said.
Seven firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter was hospitalized and in stable condition Monday night after a wreck in his fire truck. A ranch hand assisting firefighters was hospitalized with second-degree burns, the Department of Public Safety said.
The total acreage of fires easily eclipsed the 455,000 acres that burned over a span of a couple weeks in December and January, when Gov. Rick Perry declared a state drought disaster.
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TexasStooge
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Panhandle fires continue raging
750,000 acres scorched; winds expected to make containment tougher
MIAMI, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) - Small orange flags marked the spots Tuesday where the bodies of four oil field workers were found, yards from their car. The charred remains of a cow dangled from a barbed wire fence.
Both images offered signs of futile attempts to flee fast-moving fires that have ravaged the Panhandle since Sunday, killing 11 people and destroying numerous structures. By Tuesday, the fires had scorched 840,000 acres of grassland.
The state responded to more than 200 fires covering 191,000 acres in the 24 hours starting midday Monday. Those blazes destroyed 15 homes, forced the evacuation of 45 people and closed at least one highway, state officials said.
Firefighters were bracing for another battle Wednesday, when south winds are expected to pick up again.
Gov. Rick Perry said he was deploying more state resources, boosting the totals to 26 aircraft dropping fire retardant, 55 bulldozer crews clearing brush and digging trenches, 13 fire engines and more than 350 firefighters.
"We are using the largest air tankers in the nation in this effort," Perry said in a statement.
Perry plans to tour the fire-devastated areas Thursday.
The four men whose deaths pushed the toll to 11 on Monday apparently died Sunday, said Newell Rankin, the range foreman of the Roberts County ranch where the bodies were found. It appeared the men drove off a gravel road and ended up in a ravine, where they abandoned the car and tried to flee.
They didn't get far. The bodies were found within 50 yards of the car. Between the car and the first body lay a set of keys on a ring with a horseshoe charm and military can opener. A burned piece of blue jeans and a scorched rubber shoe were near where the bodies had been.
The men were on their way to jobs at an oil drilling location, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Daniel Hawthorne said.
"In a last act of desperation you just run for your life, literally," Rankin said. "It's a shocking thing, the loss of life."
Hawthorne identified the victims as Roberto Chavira, 42, of Cactus; Arthur Dominquez, 32, of Pampa; Merdaro Garcia Jr., 32, of Pampa, and Gerardo Villareal, 30 of Rio Grande City.
Most of Rankin's 1,300-acre ranch was burned, and he was trying to account for his 750 head of cattle. He found 12 dead and had to shoot another. About 500 were back in their pens, and firefighters managed to save his home, Rankin said.
Preliminary estimates Tuesday put the number of dead livestock -- horses and cattle -- at 10,000, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
Winds are expected to increase to as much as 30 mph Wednesday and "will not be conducive to containing the fires," said John Cockrell of the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Wind gusts of up to 40 mph are possible.
However, Cockrell said the humidity will be as much as two times higher than it was Sunday when flames first erupted.
"The fire danger should not be as explosive as it was on Sunday," he said.
There's a slight chance of rain in the weekend forecast.
Since Sunday, nine firefighters have suffered injuries, including three volunteer firefighters who were hurt in a vehicle rollover. Two are in the intensive care unit and another is in stable condition, Hawthorne said.
On Sunday, four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway, and three more died in fires near Borger.
The crash victims were identified as Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla.
The three people who died Sunday in the Borger area became trapped by the fire. Bill Pfeffer, 84, and Katherine Darnell Ryan, 64, were killed inside Pfeffer's home. Ryan was trying to help Pfeffer evacuate. Jack Will, 94, died in his house, the Hutchinson County Justice of the Peace Office said.
The total acreage of fires easily eclipsed the 455,000 acres that burned over a span of a couple weeks in December and January, when Perry declared a state drought disaster. Since Dec. 26, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes in Texas, state officials said.
750,000 acres scorched; winds expected to make containment tougher
MIAMI, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) - Small orange flags marked the spots Tuesday where the bodies of four oil field workers were found, yards from their car. The charred remains of a cow dangled from a barbed wire fence.
Both images offered signs of futile attempts to flee fast-moving fires that have ravaged the Panhandle since Sunday, killing 11 people and destroying numerous structures. By Tuesday, the fires had scorched 840,000 acres of grassland.
The state responded to more than 200 fires covering 191,000 acres in the 24 hours starting midday Monday. Those blazes destroyed 15 homes, forced the evacuation of 45 people and closed at least one highway, state officials said.
Firefighters were bracing for another battle Wednesday, when south winds are expected to pick up again.
Gov. Rick Perry said he was deploying more state resources, boosting the totals to 26 aircraft dropping fire retardant, 55 bulldozer crews clearing brush and digging trenches, 13 fire engines and more than 350 firefighters.
"We are using the largest air tankers in the nation in this effort," Perry said in a statement.
Perry plans to tour the fire-devastated areas Thursday.
The four men whose deaths pushed the toll to 11 on Monday apparently died Sunday, said Newell Rankin, the range foreman of the Roberts County ranch where the bodies were found. It appeared the men drove off a gravel road and ended up in a ravine, where they abandoned the car and tried to flee.
They didn't get far. The bodies were found within 50 yards of the car. Between the car and the first body lay a set of keys on a ring with a horseshoe charm and military can opener. A burned piece of blue jeans and a scorched rubber shoe were near where the bodies had been.
The men were on their way to jobs at an oil drilling location, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Daniel Hawthorne said.
"In a last act of desperation you just run for your life, literally," Rankin said. "It's a shocking thing, the loss of life."
Hawthorne identified the victims as Roberto Chavira, 42, of Cactus; Arthur Dominquez, 32, of Pampa; Merdaro Garcia Jr., 32, of Pampa, and Gerardo Villareal, 30 of Rio Grande City.
Most of Rankin's 1,300-acre ranch was burned, and he was trying to account for his 750 head of cattle. He found 12 dead and had to shoot another. About 500 were back in their pens, and firefighters managed to save his home, Rankin said.
Preliminary estimates Tuesday put the number of dead livestock -- horses and cattle -- at 10,000, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
Winds are expected to increase to as much as 30 mph Wednesday and "will not be conducive to containing the fires," said John Cockrell of the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Wind gusts of up to 40 mph are possible.
However, Cockrell said the humidity will be as much as two times higher than it was Sunday when flames first erupted.
"The fire danger should not be as explosive as it was on Sunday," he said.
There's a slight chance of rain in the weekend forecast.
Since Sunday, nine firefighters have suffered injuries, including three volunteer firefighters who were hurt in a vehicle rollover. Two are in the intensive care unit and another is in stable condition, Hawthorne said.
On Sunday, four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway, and three more died in fires near Borger.
The crash victims were identified as Susan Louise Schumacher, 49; Lawrence Schumacher, 56; Alexis Burroughs, 14, all of Grove, Okla., and Karen Lachelle DeWeese, 46, of Wagoner, Okla.
The three people who died Sunday in the Borger area became trapped by the fire. Bill Pfeffer, 84, and Katherine Darnell Ryan, 64, were killed inside Pfeffer's home. Ryan was trying to help Pfeffer evacuate. Jack Will, 94, died in his house, the Hutchinson County Justice of the Peace Office said.
The total acreage of fires easily eclipsed the 455,000 acres that burned over a span of a couple weeks in December and January, when Perry declared a state drought disaster. Since Dec. 26, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes in Texas, state officials said.
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TexasStooge
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Panhandle firefighters get help
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
Some North Texas firefighters headed west Wednesday morning to join the effort to contain a series of devastating wildfires in the state's Panhandle region.
At the request of Gov. Rick Perry, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport sent six firefighters along with a fire truck and a support vehicle to Childress at 7:30 a.m.
"Right now, what's on their mind is business," said airport Fire Chief Alan Black. "They're going about their business of getting packed, getting ready. They're a little quiet and focused, which I think is what you would expect under the circumstances."
A short time earlier, a contingent of eight firefighters from Frisco headed west along with an ambulance and a fire truck to provide relief to their comrades in West Texas who have been battling the relentless wildfires.
"We'll be able to see what it takes to coordinate that type of effort, so that if something were to ever happen here in Frisco or North Texas, that we might be that much more prepared," said Frisco firefighter Paul Siebert.
Eight fire departments from Denton County were also preparing to lend a hand. They were assembling at Golden Triangle Mall in Denton Wednesday morning to lead a convoy to the fire region.
"They're excited," said Chief Black. "They're also apprehensive about what's in store, what's ahead of them."
Fire department officials emphasized that the dispatch of manpower and equipment to West Texas will not leave local communities in North Texas unprotected.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
Some North Texas firefighters headed west Wednesday morning to join the effort to contain a series of devastating wildfires in the state's Panhandle region.
At the request of Gov. Rick Perry, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport sent six firefighters along with a fire truck and a support vehicle to Childress at 7:30 a.m.
"Right now, what's on their mind is business," said airport Fire Chief Alan Black. "They're going about their business of getting packed, getting ready. They're a little quiet and focused, which I think is what you would expect under the circumstances."
A short time earlier, a contingent of eight firefighters from Frisco headed west along with an ambulance and a fire truck to provide relief to their comrades in West Texas who have been battling the relentless wildfires.
"We'll be able to see what it takes to coordinate that type of effort, so that if something were to ever happen here in Frisco or North Texas, that we might be that much more prepared," said Frisco firefighter Paul Siebert.
Eight fire departments from Denton County were also preparing to lend a hand. They were assembling at Golden Triangle Mall in Denton Wednesday morning to lead a convoy to the fire region.
"They're excited," said Chief Black. "They're also apprehensive about what's in store, what's ahead of them."
Fire department officials emphasized that the dispatch of manpower and equipment to West Texas will not leave local communities in North Texas unprotected.
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High winds could rekindle West Texas fires
McLEAN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Stiff wind swept across the dry Texas landscape Wednesday, challenging firefighters already weary from three days of battling wildfires that have blackened 840,000 acres and killed 11 people.
Fire crews and equipment had been stationed around the north sides of the fires in anticipation of the wind picking up again, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman with the Texas Forest Service.
At daybreak, no towns appeared to be in imminent danger, Fulkerson said. She said firefighters hoped increased humidity would keep the fires from becoming explosive, as they did Sunday when the outbreak began.
Still, crews had been preparing for the worst.
"The winds and all the burning embers we got, it could be bad," said McLean Volunteer Fire Chief Clifford McDonald.
In the 24-hour period that ended at midday Tuesday, the state had sent crews and aircraft to more than 200 fires covering 191,000 acres.
Those blazes destroyed 15 homes, closed at least one highway and forced the evacuation of 45 people, officials said. Since last weekend, 1,900 others in seven counties already had been forced to evacuate. About 10,000 cows and horses were feared dead across the smoking landscape, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
Gov. Rick Perry plans to tour the devastated areas Thursday.
Since Dec. 26, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes in his state, Texas officials said.
Wednesday morning, southerly wind had picked up to 28 mph at Amarillo, about 70 miles west of McLean in the Texas Panhandle, and gusts to 40 mph were possible, the National Weather Service said. The wind was expected to continue through the day before easing slightly during the night.
Humidity was only 37 percent, but still about twice as high as Sunday, and forecasters said there is a slight chance of rain this weekend.
More than 350 firefighters have been battling the latest outbreak of flames, about two dozen aircraft have been used to drop fire retardant, and 55 bulldozer crews have been clearing brush and digging trenches.
The charred bodies of four oilfield workers were found within 50 yards of their car, said Newell Rankin, the range foreman of the Roberts County ranch where the bodies were found. Rankin said it appeared the men drove off a gravel road Sunday and into a ravine, where they abandoned the car.
"In a last act of desperation you just run for your life, literally," he said. "It's a shocking thing, the loss of life."
Rankin said most of his 1,300-acre ranch was burned, and he was trying to account for his 750 head of cattle. He found 12 dead and had to shoot another. About 500 were back in their pens, and firefighters managed to save his home, Rankin said.
On Sunday, four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway near Groom, and three more died trapped in homes near Borger.
Nine firefighters have been injured, with two of them in intensive care after a vehicle rollover, said Daniel Hawthorne, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.
McLEAN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Stiff wind swept across the dry Texas landscape Wednesday, challenging firefighters already weary from three days of battling wildfires that have blackened 840,000 acres and killed 11 people.
Fire crews and equipment had been stationed around the north sides of the fires in anticipation of the wind picking up again, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman with the Texas Forest Service.
At daybreak, no towns appeared to be in imminent danger, Fulkerson said. She said firefighters hoped increased humidity would keep the fires from becoming explosive, as they did Sunday when the outbreak began.
Still, crews had been preparing for the worst.
"The winds and all the burning embers we got, it could be bad," said McLean Volunteer Fire Chief Clifford McDonald.
In the 24-hour period that ended at midday Tuesday, the state had sent crews and aircraft to more than 200 fires covering 191,000 acres.
Those blazes destroyed 15 homes, closed at least one highway and forced the evacuation of 45 people, officials said. Since last weekend, 1,900 others in seven counties already had been forced to evacuate. About 10,000 cows and horses were feared dead across the smoking landscape, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
Gov. Rick Perry plans to tour the devastated areas Thursday.
Since Dec. 26, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes in his state, Texas officials said.
Wednesday morning, southerly wind had picked up to 28 mph at Amarillo, about 70 miles west of McLean in the Texas Panhandle, and gusts to 40 mph were possible, the National Weather Service said. The wind was expected to continue through the day before easing slightly during the night.
Humidity was only 37 percent, but still about twice as high as Sunday, and forecasters said there is a slight chance of rain this weekend.
More than 350 firefighters have been battling the latest outbreak of flames, about two dozen aircraft have been used to drop fire retardant, and 55 bulldozer crews have been clearing brush and digging trenches.
The charred bodies of four oilfield workers were found within 50 yards of their car, said Newell Rankin, the range foreman of the Roberts County ranch where the bodies were found. Rankin said it appeared the men drove off a gravel road Sunday and into a ravine, where they abandoned the car.
"In a last act of desperation you just run for your life, literally," he said. "It's a shocking thing, the loss of life."
Rankin said most of his 1,300-acre ranch was burned, and he was trying to account for his 750 head of cattle. He found 12 dead and had to shoot another. About 500 were back in their pens, and firefighters managed to save his home, Rankin said.
On Sunday, four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway near Groom, and three more died trapped in homes near Borger.
Nine firefighters have been injured, with two of them in intensive care after a vehicle rollover, said Daniel Hawthorne, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.
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TexasStooge
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Area firefighters answer call
From The Dallas Morning News Staff
Armed with optimism and a sense of obligation to their fellow firefighters, representatives from numerous North Texas departments were headed to West Texas to battle the raging wildfires that have been among the worst in state history.
Firefighters and emergency workers from several Denton County cities huddled at Golden Triangle Mall in Denton Wednesday morning as they prepared to leave for Childress.
“Our last words to them were, ‘Go out and make a difference,’” said Richard Lasky, Lewisville’s fire chief.
Chief Lasky, who also serves as president of the county’s fire chiefs association, said the team was put together immediately after a statewide call for assistance Tuesday night. The blazes already have charred more than 800,000 acres and killed 11 people over three days.
“We’ve been watching it since it first started,” Chief Lasky said. “We can’t self-deploy or self-dispatch. We have to be officially requested.”
The county’s fire officials developed a system after Sept. 11, 2001, that allows them to respond to such requests immediately without overextending resources or personnel from a single department. Chief Lasky said the terrorist attacks made fire department officials realize how much they must rely on nearby colleagues.
“It was a wake-up call nationally to make sure we are all working together and using resources to the best of our abilities and we’re not duplicating efforts,” he said. “You really started to see fine tuning of special response teams.”
The county’s response team for the Panhandle blazes includes personnel, supplies, equipment and engines from eight agencies. Emergency responders could be there for only a day, but are prepared for weeklong stints. Chief Lasky said the departments have lists of firefighters and responders who are willing to tackle such assignments.
“That’s what firefighters thrive on: They love helping people,” Chief Lasky said. “Even if they just go and cover firehouses for these communities. But, if they end up on the front of the wildfire line, they’ll be just as happy.”
From Collin County, firefighters from Anna, Celina, Farmersville, Frisco, McKinney, Melissa, Prosper and Wylie were en route to the Panhandle. They were prepared to sleep on the ground or in tents, although shelter may be provided.
The Anna department, which is a combination paid and volunteer force, sent three firefighters on a brush truck for a three-day stint starting in Childress. They were ready to battle flames reportedly reaching 50 feet in the air, Fire Marshal James Dockray said.
He said the absence of the brush truck leaves the city of about 5,000 residents with 16 firefighters, mostly volunteers, and six other pieces of firefighting and medical rescue equipment.
“As a department, we’re always responding to calls for people who need help,” Mr. Dockray said. “We decided that we could help the fellow firefighters out. Other departments are doing the same thing, so that’s why we sent people to help out.”
Frisco Fire Chief Mack Borchardt sent eight firefighters, including Deputy Chief Paul Siebert, for two to three days. Frisco also sent an engine, an ambulance and Chief Siebert's vehicle.
"We'll be able to see what it takes to coordinate that type of effort, so that if something were to ever happen here in Frisco or North Texas, that we might be that much more prepared," Deputy Chief Siebert said.
They left at 2 a.m. Wednesday for Childress but were rerouted to Shamrock.
"The city of Frisco has always supported helping our neighbors," Chief Borchardt said. "It's kind of nice Texans helping Texans. And we knew if we needed help, they could come help us."
Unlike their smaller counterparts, metropolitan departments like Dallas and Fort Worth must negotiate more bureaucratic red tape and ensure that they can spare the personnel and equipment and still manage to cover their regular heavy fire and rescue call loads, officials said.
“We’re the largest department in the county, and we need to have all our equipment ready if something breaks out here,” Fort Worth fire Lt. Kent Worley said. “We have a lot of open territory. Some of the departments in the area are responding, and we applaud them for doing so, obviously.”
The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department decided Wednesday afternoon to dispatch 12 people and five pieces of equipment to Childress.
"They're going home, packing enough personal items for at least seven days, and they're going to report to … go to West Texas,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said.
A team of six Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport firefighters, accompanied by a fire truck and support vehicle, also left for Childress. Airport fire Chief Alan Black said the firefighters were excited, but apprehensive.
"Right now, what's on their mind is business," Chief Black said. "They're going about their business of getting packed, getting ready. They're a little quiet and focused, which I think is what you would expect under the circumstances."
Tarrant County departments, including Saginaw, Haltom City and Hurst, have contributed 16 pieces of equipment and more than two dozen volunteers to the effort.
Fire Marshal Randy Renois said the Tarrant County contingent was told it would be needed at least two days, if not a week, depending on the conditions.
“This is the largest grass fire that I can remember,” Mr. Renois said. “I heard this morning that they already had some thing like 42 pieces of apparatus up there total, but there’s more coming.”
He said Tarrant County long has pitched in on such efforts.
“The forest service has known for years that they can depend on Tarrant County to help out, within a certain distance,” he said.
Dallas Morning News staff writers Jennifer Emily, Brandon Formby and Jason Trahan and WFAA-TV contributed to this report.
From The Dallas Morning News Staff
Armed with optimism and a sense of obligation to their fellow firefighters, representatives from numerous North Texas departments were headed to West Texas to battle the raging wildfires that have been among the worst in state history.
Firefighters and emergency workers from several Denton County cities huddled at Golden Triangle Mall in Denton Wednesday morning as they prepared to leave for Childress.
“Our last words to them were, ‘Go out and make a difference,’” said Richard Lasky, Lewisville’s fire chief.
Chief Lasky, who also serves as president of the county’s fire chiefs association, said the team was put together immediately after a statewide call for assistance Tuesday night. The blazes already have charred more than 800,000 acres and killed 11 people over three days.
“We’ve been watching it since it first started,” Chief Lasky said. “We can’t self-deploy or self-dispatch. We have to be officially requested.”
The county’s fire officials developed a system after Sept. 11, 2001, that allows them to respond to such requests immediately without overextending resources or personnel from a single department. Chief Lasky said the terrorist attacks made fire department officials realize how much they must rely on nearby colleagues.
“It was a wake-up call nationally to make sure we are all working together and using resources to the best of our abilities and we’re not duplicating efforts,” he said. “You really started to see fine tuning of special response teams.”
The county’s response team for the Panhandle blazes includes personnel, supplies, equipment and engines from eight agencies. Emergency responders could be there for only a day, but are prepared for weeklong stints. Chief Lasky said the departments have lists of firefighters and responders who are willing to tackle such assignments.
“That’s what firefighters thrive on: They love helping people,” Chief Lasky said. “Even if they just go and cover firehouses for these communities. But, if they end up on the front of the wildfire line, they’ll be just as happy.”
From Collin County, firefighters from Anna, Celina, Farmersville, Frisco, McKinney, Melissa, Prosper and Wylie were en route to the Panhandle. They were prepared to sleep on the ground or in tents, although shelter may be provided.
The Anna department, which is a combination paid and volunteer force, sent three firefighters on a brush truck for a three-day stint starting in Childress. They were ready to battle flames reportedly reaching 50 feet in the air, Fire Marshal James Dockray said.
He said the absence of the brush truck leaves the city of about 5,000 residents with 16 firefighters, mostly volunteers, and six other pieces of firefighting and medical rescue equipment.
“As a department, we’re always responding to calls for people who need help,” Mr. Dockray said. “We decided that we could help the fellow firefighters out. Other departments are doing the same thing, so that’s why we sent people to help out.”
Frisco Fire Chief Mack Borchardt sent eight firefighters, including Deputy Chief Paul Siebert, for two to three days. Frisco also sent an engine, an ambulance and Chief Siebert's vehicle.
"We'll be able to see what it takes to coordinate that type of effort, so that if something were to ever happen here in Frisco or North Texas, that we might be that much more prepared," Deputy Chief Siebert said.
They left at 2 a.m. Wednesday for Childress but were rerouted to Shamrock.
"The city of Frisco has always supported helping our neighbors," Chief Borchardt said. "It's kind of nice Texans helping Texans. And we knew if we needed help, they could come help us."
Unlike their smaller counterparts, metropolitan departments like Dallas and Fort Worth must negotiate more bureaucratic red tape and ensure that they can spare the personnel and equipment and still manage to cover their regular heavy fire and rescue call loads, officials said.
“We’re the largest department in the county, and we need to have all our equipment ready if something breaks out here,” Fort Worth fire Lt. Kent Worley said. “We have a lot of open territory. Some of the departments in the area are responding, and we applaud them for doing so, obviously.”
The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department decided Wednesday afternoon to dispatch 12 people and five pieces of equipment to Childress.
"They're going home, packing enough personal items for at least seven days, and they're going to report to … go to West Texas,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said.
A team of six Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport firefighters, accompanied by a fire truck and support vehicle, also left for Childress. Airport fire Chief Alan Black said the firefighters were excited, but apprehensive.
"Right now, what's on their mind is business," Chief Black said. "They're going about their business of getting packed, getting ready. They're a little quiet and focused, which I think is what you would expect under the circumstances."
Tarrant County departments, including Saginaw, Haltom City and Hurst, have contributed 16 pieces of equipment and more than two dozen volunteers to the effort.
Fire Marshal Randy Renois said the Tarrant County contingent was told it would be needed at least two days, if not a week, depending on the conditions.
“This is the largest grass fire that I can remember,” Mr. Renois said. “I heard this morning that they already had some thing like 42 pieces of apparatus up there total, but there’s more coming.”
He said Tarrant County long has pitched in on such efforts.
“The forest service has known for years that they can depend on Tarrant County to help out, within a certain distance,” he said.
Dallas Morning News staff writers Jennifer Emily, Brandon Formby and Jason Trahan and WFAA-TV contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Texas wildfires: 'Worst-case scenario'
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Stiff winds pushed wildfires deeper into the parched Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, threatening six small towns and prompting authorities to urge 3,000 people to evacuate their homes.
State officials recommended that residents flee ahead of the flames, but local leaders had not made the evacuations mandatory.
"This is the worst-case scenario of what we hoped wouldn't happen," said Warren Bielenberg, a Texas Forest Service spokesman.
Firefighters were frustrated by winds that gusted up to 30 mph, some of the strongest since wildfires began racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
Fire crews got some relief with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, along with overcast skies and higher humidity. But state officials said conditions remained critical because of the high winds.
There were 10 active fires Wednesday, and firefighters responded to more than 200 new blazes for a second consecutive day.
About 840,000 acres have burned since Sunday, and 11 people have been killed. An estimated 10,000 horses and cattle have also died in the flames.
As the fires advanced into the northeast corner of the Panhandle, state authorities urged people to leave the communities of Lipscomb, Higgins, Barton Corner, Booker, Darrouzett and Follett.
Lipscomb County Judge Willis Smith declined to order mandatory evacuations. "We are in its path if it crosses," he said. "But there's a lot of manpower."
Gov. Rick Perry said crews had made progress overnight battling some of the fires. "And even more firefighters and equipment are headed to the Panhandle to continue the fight," he said in a statement. The governor was scheduled to tour the area Thursday.
The Texas Forest Service warned Oklahoma officials about the possibility of the fires crossing the state line.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some fire departments used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation better and does not evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set back fires and used bulldozers to deprive advancing fires of fuel, while helicopters drop fire retardant and water on the flames.
Volunteer firefighter Sallie Adcock cringed when she saw yet another smoke plume heading skyward late Tuesday, indicating one more blaze had ignited despite efforts to clear grass and brush.
"It makes you sick," Adcock said. "We thought we were done, and you look over there and here we go again."
The charred bodies of four oilfield workers were found Tuesday near where they abandoned their car in a Roberts County ravine. On Sunday, four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway near Groom, and three more died trapped in homes near Borger.
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Stiff winds pushed wildfires deeper into the parched Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, threatening six small towns and prompting authorities to urge 3,000 people to evacuate their homes.
State officials recommended that residents flee ahead of the flames, but local leaders had not made the evacuations mandatory.
"This is the worst-case scenario of what we hoped wouldn't happen," said Warren Bielenberg, a Texas Forest Service spokesman.
Firefighters were frustrated by winds that gusted up to 30 mph, some of the strongest since wildfires began racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
Fire crews got some relief with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, along with overcast skies and higher humidity. But state officials said conditions remained critical because of the high winds.
There were 10 active fires Wednesday, and firefighters responded to more than 200 new blazes for a second consecutive day.
About 840,000 acres have burned since Sunday, and 11 people have been killed. An estimated 10,000 horses and cattle have also died in the flames.
As the fires advanced into the northeast corner of the Panhandle, state authorities urged people to leave the communities of Lipscomb, Higgins, Barton Corner, Booker, Darrouzett and Follett.
Lipscomb County Judge Willis Smith declined to order mandatory evacuations. "We are in its path if it crosses," he said. "But there's a lot of manpower."
Gov. Rick Perry said crews had made progress overnight battling some of the fires. "And even more firefighters and equipment are headed to the Panhandle to continue the fight," he said in a statement. The governor was scheduled to tour the area Thursday.
The Texas Forest Service warned Oklahoma officials about the possibility of the fires crossing the state line.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some fire departments used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation better and does not evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set back fires and used bulldozers to deprive advancing fires of fuel, while helicopters drop fire retardant and water on the flames.
Volunteer firefighter Sallie Adcock cringed when she saw yet another smoke plume heading skyward late Tuesday, indicating one more blaze had ignited despite efforts to clear grass and brush.
"It makes you sick," Adcock said. "We thought we were done, and you look over there and here we go again."
The charred bodies of four oilfield workers were found Tuesday near where they abandoned their car in a Roberts County ravine. On Sunday, four people died in a crash on a smoke-shrouded highway near Groom, and three more died trapped in homes near Borger.
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TexasStooge
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'Like trying to stop a tornado'
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Wildfires that have scorched nearly a million acres of the bone-dry Texas Panhandle spread even farther, fanned by strong wind gusts that reached as high as 52 mph.
Authorities said the fires traveled as far as 40 miles to the northeast on Wednesday, marching close to the Oklahoma border. Authorities urged residents in six towns to evacuate, and cautioned that the fire could reach Oklahoma.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
The winds, which blew away ash and then created sandstorms, were the strongest since wildfires fueled by 60 mph winds started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo Sunday.
Nearly 3,000 residents in Lipscomb, Higgins, Barton Corner, Booker, Darrouzett and Follett were asked by fire officials to evacuate after a blaze that started near Borger began spreading. At least 10 homes in Lipscomb County were threatened, said Rachael Novier, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry.
Lipscomb County Judge Willis Smith declined to order mandatory evacuations. "We are in its path if it crosses," he said. "But there's a lot of manpower."
There were 10 active fires Wednesday, and firefighters responded to more than 200 new fires for a second consecutive 24-hour period.
Eleven people have died in the fires that have scorched about 840,000 acres since the first day, and animal health officials have estimated the number of dead horses and cattle at 10,000. Perry is scheduled to tour the area on Thursday.
Slight relief came Wednesday afternoon with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, overcast skies and higher humidity, but state officials said conditions remained critical because of the strong winds.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some departments have used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation better and doesn't evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set back fires and used bulldozers to clear land in an effort to rob advancing fires of fuel.
Helicopters have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water along firelines.
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Wildfires that have scorched nearly a million acres of the bone-dry Texas Panhandle spread even farther, fanned by strong wind gusts that reached as high as 52 mph.
Authorities said the fires traveled as far as 40 miles to the northeast on Wednesday, marching close to the Oklahoma border. Authorities urged residents in six towns to evacuate, and cautioned that the fire could reach Oklahoma.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
The winds, which blew away ash and then created sandstorms, were the strongest since wildfires fueled by 60 mph winds started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo Sunday.
Nearly 3,000 residents in Lipscomb, Higgins, Barton Corner, Booker, Darrouzett and Follett were asked by fire officials to evacuate after a blaze that started near Borger began spreading. At least 10 homes in Lipscomb County were threatened, said Rachael Novier, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry.
Lipscomb County Judge Willis Smith declined to order mandatory evacuations. "We are in its path if it crosses," he said. "But there's a lot of manpower."
There were 10 active fires Wednesday, and firefighters responded to more than 200 new fires for a second consecutive 24-hour period.
Eleven people have died in the fires that have scorched about 840,000 acres since the first day, and animal health officials have estimated the number of dead horses and cattle at 10,000. Perry is scheduled to tour the area on Thursday.
Slight relief came Wednesday afternoon with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, overcast skies and higher humidity, but state officials said conditions remained critical because of the strong winds.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some departments have used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation better and doesn't evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set back fires and used bulldozers to clear land in an effort to rob advancing fires of fuel.
Helicopters have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water along firelines.
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TexasStooge
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Perry will visit Panhandle
'Worst-case scenario' pushes wind-fanned blazes east from Borger
BORGER, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP Wire) – Gov. Rick Perry will travel to fire-ravaged West Texas on Thursday, where he will meet with local officials and emergency personnel.
As of Thursday morning, more than 800,000 acres had been charred and at least three major fires still were burning, said Warren Bielenberg, a spokesman with the Texas Forest Service.
“We have better weather conditions to fight the fires today,” Bielenberg said.
The National Weather Service forecast for Borger calls for mostly sunny skies with northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph. The weekend forecast appeared even more favorable. It called for a 30 percent chance of rain in the central and southeastern Panhandle. Meteorologist John Cockrell said rain is a possibility Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
And while the showers weren't predicted to amount to more than a quarter inch each day, "every little bit helps," Mr. Cockrell said.
On Wednesday, authorities urged residents in six Lipscomb County towns to evacuate after strong winds pushed flames toward the Panhandle’s northeastern corner.
Texas Forest Service officials also warned Oklahoma officials about the possibility of the fire crossing the state line. Lipscomb County borders Oklahoma on two sides.
Fire officials asked residents in Lipscomb, Higgins, Barton Corner, Booker, Darrouzett and Follett to evacuate after a blaze that started near Borger, called the East Amarillo fire, began spreading.
"This is the worst-case scenario of what we hoped wouldn't happen," Bielenberg said.
Firefighters had braced for blazes to spread Wednesday, when winds were gusting to 30 mph, their strongest since wildfires fueled by winds of up to 60 mph started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday.
"They are poised to move and fight this fire wherever it moves," said Rachael Novier, a spokeswoman for Gov. Perry.
Slight relief came Wednesday afternoon with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, overcast skies and higher humidity, but state officials said conditions remained critical because of the strong winds.
Firefighters were buoyed as help poured in from around the state. Pat Schaub, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service, said that firefighters from other cities had been dispatched to local fire departments to help guard their communities. Several cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were among those sending help.
Ms. Schaub said that the loaned equipment included water tankers, brush trucks and ambulances.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some departments have used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation and doesn't evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set backfires and used bulldozers to clear land in an effort to rob advancing fires of fuel.
Helicopters sent to the region have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water along fire lines. Livestock losses have been the most serious damage so far. Preliminary estimates put the number of dead horses and cattle at 10,000, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
While such losses could be devastating for the individual ranchers involved, experts said that given the size of cattle herds in Texas and the United States, the deaths of even twice as many cows would not cause a noticeable increase in beef prices paid by consumers.
"In the U.S. we've got 97 million [head of] cattle," said Jim Gill, market director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. "In the grand scheme of things, it's pretty small, really."
Texas is home to an estimated 14 million head of cattle.
The Texas Farm Bureau set up a collection site to gather donations for farmers and ranchers who have been displaced.
Hay and fencing materials are at the top of the bureau's wish list, said spokesman Gene Hall.
Hay is needed to feed surviving livestock. "There's no grazing left out there. It's gone," he said. And "there are virtually no fences left standing out there in the fire area."
Donations are being accepted at the farm bureau's office in Pampa.
Also, federal agriculture officials announced a grant of $3.9 million to the state to help ranchers affected by the fires. The funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Agency Service will go into the Emergency Conservation Program.
Producers who qualify for the program receive up to 75 percent of the cost for recovery efforts such as restoring fences and structures, removing debris from farmland, providing water for livestock during drought and shaping land damaged by natural disasters.
But survival, not recovery, is the immediate priority. Firefighters are picking their battles carefully. Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said conditions often have forced firefighters to just stand back and do their best.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," he said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
Staff writers Kimberly Durnan, Colleen McCain Nelson and Karen Robinson-Jacobs in Dallas contributed to this report.
DARON DEAN / Dallas Morning News
Bales of hay burn in the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday.
'Worst-case scenario' pushes wind-fanned blazes east from Borger
BORGER, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP Wire) – Gov. Rick Perry will travel to fire-ravaged West Texas on Thursday, where he will meet with local officials and emergency personnel.
As of Thursday morning, more than 800,000 acres had been charred and at least three major fires still were burning, said Warren Bielenberg, a spokesman with the Texas Forest Service.
“We have better weather conditions to fight the fires today,” Bielenberg said.
The National Weather Service forecast for Borger calls for mostly sunny skies with northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph. The weekend forecast appeared even more favorable. It called for a 30 percent chance of rain in the central and southeastern Panhandle. Meteorologist John Cockrell said rain is a possibility Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
And while the showers weren't predicted to amount to more than a quarter inch each day, "every little bit helps," Mr. Cockrell said.
On Wednesday, authorities urged residents in six Lipscomb County towns to evacuate after strong winds pushed flames toward the Panhandle’s northeastern corner.
Texas Forest Service officials also warned Oklahoma officials about the possibility of the fire crossing the state line. Lipscomb County borders Oklahoma on two sides.
Fire officials asked residents in Lipscomb, Higgins, Barton Corner, Booker, Darrouzett and Follett to evacuate after a blaze that started near Borger, called the East Amarillo fire, began spreading.
"This is the worst-case scenario of what we hoped wouldn't happen," Bielenberg said.
Firefighters had braced for blazes to spread Wednesday, when winds were gusting to 30 mph, their strongest since wildfires fueled by winds of up to 60 mph started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday.
"They are poised to move and fight this fire wherever it moves," said Rachael Novier, a spokeswoman for Gov. Perry.
Slight relief came Wednesday afternoon with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, overcast skies and higher humidity, but state officials said conditions remained critical because of the strong winds.
Firefighters were buoyed as help poured in from around the state. Pat Schaub, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service, said that firefighters from other cities had been dispatched to local fire departments to help guard their communities. Several cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were among those sending help.
Ms. Schaub said that the loaned equipment included water tankers, brush trucks and ambulances.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some departments have used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation and doesn't evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set backfires and used bulldozers to clear land in an effort to rob advancing fires of fuel.
Helicopters sent to the region have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water along fire lines. Livestock losses have been the most serious damage so far. Preliminary estimates put the number of dead horses and cattle at 10,000, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
While such losses could be devastating for the individual ranchers involved, experts said that given the size of cattle herds in Texas and the United States, the deaths of even twice as many cows would not cause a noticeable increase in beef prices paid by consumers.
"In the U.S. we've got 97 million [head of] cattle," said Jim Gill, market director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. "In the grand scheme of things, it's pretty small, really."
Texas is home to an estimated 14 million head of cattle.
The Texas Farm Bureau set up a collection site to gather donations for farmers and ranchers who have been displaced.
Hay and fencing materials are at the top of the bureau's wish list, said spokesman Gene Hall.
Hay is needed to feed surviving livestock. "There's no grazing left out there. It's gone," he said. And "there are virtually no fences left standing out there in the fire area."
Donations are being accepted at the farm bureau's office in Pampa.
Also, federal agriculture officials announced a grant of $3.9 million to the state to help ranchers affected by the fires. The funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Agency Service will go into the Emergency Conservation Program.
Producers who qualify for the program receive up to 75 percent of the cost for recovery efforts such as restoring fences and structures, removing debris from farmland, providing water for livestock during drought and shaping land damaged by natural disasters.
But survival, not recovery, is the immediate priority. Firefighters are picking their battles carefully. Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said conditions often have forced firefighters to just stand back and do their best.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," he said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
Staff writers Kimberly Durnan, Colleen McCain Nelson and Karen Robinson-Jacobs in Dallas contributed to this report.
DARON DEAN / Dallas Morning News
Bales of hay burn in the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday.
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Irving enacts voluntary water restrictions
By MARISSA ALANIS / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The city of Irving has enacted voluntary water restrictions due to shortages in its water supply. The restrictions started Thursday and will continue indefinitely. The dry weather conditions prompted the voluntary water schedule.
Irving water customers are encouraged to irrigate landscaped areas on a twice-weekly schedule and not between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Addresses with even numbers are asked to water on Tuesdays and Saturdays only.
Customers can use a hand-held garden hose, soaker hose, bucket or drip irrigation system at any time. Customers are requested to minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.
The city will refrain from landscape watering more than two days a week, and will eliminate street and vehicle washing, except when water can be captured for reuse. For information, call the water utilities department at 972-721-2281.
By MARISSA ALANIS / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The city of Irving has enacted voluntary water restrictions due to shortages in its water supply. The restrictions started Thursday and will continue indefinitely. The dry weather conditions prompted the voluntary water schedule.
Irving water customers are encouraged to irrigate landscaped areas on a twice-weekly schedule and not between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Addresses with even numbers are asked to water on Tuesdays and Saturdays only.
Customers can use a hand-held garden hose, soaker hose, bucket or drip irrigation system at any time. Customers are requested to minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.
The city will refrain from landscape watering more than two days a week, and will eliminate street and vehicle washing, except when water can be captured for reuse. For information, call the water utilities department at 972-721-2281.
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Winds easing in Panhandle
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) – The strong winds that pushed wildfires across nearly a million acres of the bone-dry Texas Panhandle were easing early Thursday, but in Oklahoma, the fire danger was picking up.
A series of wind-whipped grass fires broke out Wednesday in Oklahoma, charring more than 4,000 acres and briefly threatened homes near Oklahoma City.
Thursday morning, most of the state was under a red flag warning – meaning a critical danger of fires – because of the dry air pushing into the region and the forecast of 20-25 mph winds, the National Weather Service said.
In Texas, where 50 mph wind gusts had swept a line of flames toward six Panhandle cities on Wednesday, the winds had shifted by Thursday morning and dropped below 10 mph.
"Right now, the fire is contained," said Lipscomb County Sheriff's dispatcher Jay Johnson, whose office had urged nearly 3,000 residents in the far northern county to evacuate the day before. "The wind has shifted and they've lit a backfire to get the fire burning back on itself."
Authorities said the fires had traveled as far as 40 miles to the northeast on Wednesday.
The winds, which blew away ash and created sandstorms, were the strongest since wildfires started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday. Eleven people have died, more than 840,000 acres have burned, and animal health officials have estimated the number of dead horses and cattle at 10,000.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to tour the area Thursday.
In Oklahoma, already under a burn ban because of fire outbreaks in recent months, 14 fires raged Wednesday from near Lawton, in the southwest, to west of Tulsa in the northeast, said Dale Armstrong, a fire information officer.
The largest of those fires burned about 3,000 acres near Moore, southeast of Oklahoma City, forcing the evacuation of 30 homes for several hours Wednesday, Armstrong said.
Wildfires have also broken out in western Kansas, where 14,000 acres burned Wednesday in Hodgeman County.
"It's dry. It's way too dry," said Joy Moser, spokeswoman for the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. "We haven't had anything like this in years."
In Texas, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes since late December.
Firefighters in Texas were battling 10 major blazes Wednesday and responded to more than 200 new fires for a second consecutive 24-hour period. The Panhandle got some relief Wednesday afternoon with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, overcast skies and higher humidity.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some departments have used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation better and doesn't evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set back fires and used bulldozers to clear land in an effort to rob advancing fires of fuel. Helicopters have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water.
In the sparsely populated rural Panhandle, the mostly flat terrain combined with grasses and some brush that can fuel fires contribute to quickly advancing flames.
"The problem is they can spread over such a wide area quickly, exponentially, it makes it hard to get a handle on it," said Frederick.
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) – The strong winds that pushed wildfires across nearly a million acres of the bone-dry Texas Panhandle were easing early Thursday, but in Oklahoma, the fire danger was picking up.
A series of wind-whipped grass fires broke out Wednesday in Oklahoma, charring more than 4,000 acres and briefly threatened homes near Oklahoma City.
Thursday morning, most of the state was under a red flag warning – meaning a critical danger of fires – because of the dry air pushing into the region and the forecast of 20-25 mph winds, the National Weather Service said.
In Texas, where 50 mph wind gusts had swept a line of flames toward six Panhandle cities on Wednesday, the winds had shifted by Thursday morning and dropped below 10 mph.
"Right now, the fire is contained," said Lipscomb County Sheriff's dispatcher Jay Johnson, whose office had urged nearly 3,000 residents in the far northern county to evacuate the day before. "The wind has shifted and they've lit a backfire to get the fire burning back on itself."
Authorities said the fires had traveled as far as 40 miles to the northeast on Wednesday.
The winds, which blew away ash and created sandstorms, were the strongest since wildfires started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday. Eleven people have died, more than 840,000 acres have burned, and animal health officials have estimated the number of dead horses and cattle at 10,000.
"When fire is advancing at 40 mph, you can't put it out," Borger Fire Chief Gayland Darnell said. "It would be like trying to stop a tornado."
Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to tour the area Thursday.
In Oklahoma, already under a burn ban because of fire outbreaks in recent months, 14 fires raged Wednesday from near Lawton, in the southwest, to west of Tulsa in the northeast, said Dale Armstrong, a fire information officer.
The largest of those fires burned about 3,000 acres near Moore, southeast of Oklahoma City, forcing the evacuation of 30 homes for several hours Wednesday, Armstrong said.
Wildfires have also broken out in western Kansas, where 14,000 acres burned Wednesday in Hodgeman County.
"It's dry. It's way too dry," said Joy Moser, spokeswoman for the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. "We haven't had anything like this in years."
In Texas, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes since late December.
Firefighters in Texas were battling 10 major blazes Wednesday and responded to more than 200 new fires for a second consecutive 24-hour period. The Panhandle got some relief Wednesday afternoon with brief rain in the Borger and Pampa areas, overcast skies and higher humidity.
In their efforts to quell the wildfires, some departments have used soapy water because it sticks to vegetation better and doesn't evaporate as quickly. Firefighters also have set back fires and used bulldozers to clear land in an effort to rob advancing fires of fuel. Helicopters have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water.
In the sparsely populated rural Panhandle, the mostly flat terrain combined with grasses and some brush that can fuel fires contribute to quickly advancing flames.
"The problem is they can spread over such a wide area quickly, exponentially, it makes it hard to get a handle on it," said Frederick.
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Perry tours fire devastation
As governor vows aid, crews hoping weekend rain will contain blazes
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – Gov. Rick Perry called the destruction from Panhandle wildfires staggering Thursday, after an aerial tour over thousands of acres of charred land.
"It's clear that this has been a devastating fire," said Mr. Perry, who described miles and miles of burned landscape, much of it still smoldering. "It's been extremely extensive, and the threat of additional fires still remains very high."
Mr. Perry said he was committed to providing extra resources to fight, contain and extinguish the fires.
"We need the federal help. We need it and we need it soon," the governor said. "The devastation is real up there and it is heartbreaking to see the loss not only of life but loss to years' and decades' worth of work to get your ranch in shape."
Officials were hopeful a break in the weather could give fire crews some much-needed help as they battle blazes that have consumed 840,000 acres, killed at least 11 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
While 50 mph wind gusts had swept a line of flames toward six Panhandle cities Wednesday, the winds had shifted by Thursday and dropped below 10 mph. The National Weather Service said rain could soak the drought-stricken region over the weekend and bring further relief.
"We're hoping to get containment by the weekend. Things are looking real good," said Texas Forest Service spokesman Warren Bielenberg.
Wildfires started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday, with at least one blamed on downed power lines. Officials said an estimated 10,000 horses and cattle have died in the fires.
Statewide, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes since late December.
Firefighters were trying to extinguish three major blazes Thursday and responded to more than three new smaller fires, Mr. Bielenberg said.
He said that the 450,000-acre Borger fire is 50 percent contained, the 350,000-acre I-40 fire is 75 percent contained and the Buckle L2 fire near Childress, which spans about 40,000 acres, is 75 percent contained.
Shifting winds Thursday morning kept the flames from damaging homes in the Panhandle towns. As a precaution, about 3,000 residents in Lipscomb County had been asked to evacuate ahead of the advancing flames.
In the sparsely populated rural Panhandle, the mostly flat terrain combined with grasses and brush that can fuel fires contribute to quickly advancing flames.
Near Pampa, the fires destroyed all 11,000 acres of L.H. Webb's ranch that has been in his family since 1901.
Mr. Webb lost more than 100 cattle, some of which were euthanized after their hooves were burned off and eyes were gutted by the fire.
Flames caught Mr. Webb's pickup Sunday after he raced across his ranch opening gates so steers could escape. Mr. Webb, who was able to save his home, says he moved about 600 cattle to feed lots because there's no longer hay or fences.
"This summer is a total loss," said Mr. Webb, 46. "Once we get the dead buried, we just have to wait on the rain. Hopefully by fall we can start running cattle again."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIRE RISK TO PERSIST THIS SPRING:
Wildfire danger will be higher than usual this spring across the Southwest, much of the Plains and parts of the South, the government warned Thursday. The National Weather Service said severe drought and above-normal temperatures are expected to persist across the region.
Associated Press
As governor vows aid, crews hoping weekend rain will contain blazes
BORGER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – Gov. Rick Perry called the destruction from Panhandle wildfires staggering Thursday, after an aerial tour over thousands of acres of charred land.
"It's clear that this has been a devastating fire," said Mr. Perry, who described miles and miles of burned landscape, much of it still smoldering. "It's been extremely extensive, and the threat of additional fires still remains very high."
Mr. Perry said he was committed to providing extra resources to fight, contain and extinguish the fires.
"We need the federal help. We need it and we need it soon," the governor said. "The devastation is real up there and it is heartbreaking to see the loss not only of life but loss to years' and decades' worth of work to get your ranch in shape."
Officials were hopeful a break in the weather could give fire crews some much-needed help as they battle blazes that have consumed 840,000 acres, killed at least 11 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
While 50 mph wind gusts had swept a line of flames toward six Panhandle cities Wednesday, the winds had shifted by Thursday and dropped below 10 mph. The National Weather Service said rain could soak the drought-stricken region over the weekend and bring further relief.
"We're hoping to get containment by the weekend. Things are looking real good," said Texas Forest Service spokesman Warren Bielenberg.
Wildfires started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday, with at least one blamed on downed power lines. Officials said an estimated 10,000 horses and cattle have died in the fires.
Statewide, fires have consumed about 3.7 million acres and nearly 400 homes since late December.
Firefighters were trying to extinguish three major blazes Thursday and responded to more than three new smaller fires, Mr. Bielenberg said.
He said that the 450,000-acre Borger fire is 50 percent contained, the 350,000-acre I-40 fire is 75 percent contained and the Buckle L2 fire near Childress, which spans about 40,000 acres, is 75 percent contained.
Shifting winds Thursday morning kept the flames from damaging homes in the Panhandle towns. As a precaution, about 3,000 residents in Lipscomb County had been asked to evacuate ahead of the advancing flames.
In the sparsely populated rural Panhandle, the mostly flat terrain combined with grasses and brush that can fuel fires contribute to quickly advancing flames.
Near Pampa, the fires destroyed all 11,000 acres of L.H. Webb's ranch that has been in his family since 1901.
Mr. Webb lost more than 100 cattle, some of which were euthanized after their hooves were burned off and eyes were gutted by the fire.
Flames caught Mr. Webb's pickup Sunday after he raced across his ranch opening gates so steers could escape. Mr. Webb, who was able to save his home, says he moved about 600 cattle to feed lots because there's no longer hay or fences.
"This summer is a total loss," said Mr. Webb, 46. "Once we get the dead buried, we just have to wait on the rain. Hopefully by fall we can start running cattle again."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIRE RISK TO PERSIST THIS SPRING:
Wildfire danger will be higher than usual this spring across the Southwest, much of the Plains and parts of the South, the government warned Thursday. The National Weather Service said severe drought and above-normal temperatures are expected to persist across the region.
Associated Press
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Much-needed rain won't end drought
By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News
The much-needed rain continues to fall, but it’s far from a deluge.
A small amount has accumulated since rain showers hit the North Texas area Friday evening until 10 a.m. today. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has received 0.08 inches and at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, the gauges filled to 0.35.
“It has rained a lot of the time but it didn’t rain a lot,” said Ted Ryan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
A steady rain is expected to fall today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as a line of showers moves from the west through the North Texas area. Mr. Ryan said the rain should subside in the evening hours. Temperatures will reach the lower 50s.
On Sunday, more showers, and maybe a thunderstorm or two, are expected with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the lower 50s. The better chance for the showers will be in the afternoon and evening hours.
While the precipitation isn’t expected to reach flood-like levels by the end of the weekend, any amount that saturates the ground is welcome to combat the year-long drought, Mr. Ryan said.
“This is well needed rain," he said. "It’s probably not going to end the drought but we’re certainly on our way to getting into a better situation as far as the drought is concerned.”
By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News
The much-needed rain continues to fall, but it’s far from a deluge.
A small amount has accumulated since rain showers hit the North Texas area Friday evening until 10 a.m. today. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has received 0.08 inches and at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, the gauges filled to 0.35.
“It has rained a lot of the time but it didn’t rain a lot,” said Ted Ryan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
A steady rain is expected to fall today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as a line of showers moves from the west through the North Texas area. Mr. Ryan said the rain should subside in the evening hours. Temperatures will reach the lower 50s.
On Sunday, more showers, and maybe a thunderstorm or two, are expected with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the lower 50s. The better chance for the showers will be in the afternoon and evening hours.
While the precipitation isn’t expected to reach flood-like levels by the end of the weekend, any amount that saturates the ground is welcome to combat the year-long drought, Mr. Ryan said.
“This is well needed rain," he said. "It’s probably not going to end the drought but we’re certainly on our way to getting into a better situation as far as the drought is concerned.”
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Rain, rain won't go away, until another day
More showers expected today as dry region welcomes extended drizzle
By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News
Another wave of much-needed rain moved into North Texas on Saturday, with more expected today.
As of 5 p.m. Saturday, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had received 0.64 inches of rain, and 0.91 inches were reported at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport.
"It has rained a lot of the time, but it didn't rain a lot," said Ted Ryan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
Steady rain fell from 11 a.m. to late afternoon Saturday as a line of showers moved into the area from the west. Saturday's high temperatures were in the lower 50s.
More showers are expected today, with highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s and lows in the low to mid-50s.
While this weekend's rain hasn't exactly been a deluge, any amount is welcome to combat the region's drought, Mr. Ryan said.
"This is well-needed rain," he said. "It's probably not going to end the drought, but we're certainly on our way to getting into a better situation as far as the drought is concerned."
Slick roads didn't help driving conditions across the area. Mesquite police reported working 19 traffic accidents between midnight Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday – twice the normal number of accidents.
Dallas police reported working 100 injury accidents between midnight Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.
Fort Worth police reported working 104 accidents during the same time span, although not all involved injuries.
None of the departments said how many of the accidents were weather-related.
Staff writers Ty A. Allison and Margarita Martín-Hidalgo contributed to this report.
More showers expected today as dry region welcomes extended drizzle
By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News
Another wave of much-needed rain moved into North Texas on Saturday, with more expected today.
As of 5 p.m. Saturday, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had received 0.64 inches of rain, and 0.91 inches were reported at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport.
"It has rained a lot of the time, but it didn't rain a lot," said Ted Ryan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
Steady rain fell from 11 a.m. to late afternoon Saturday as a line of showers moved into the area from the west. Saturday's high temperatures were in the lower 50s.
More showers are expected today, with highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s and lows in the low to mid-50s.
While this weekend's rain hasn't exactly been a deluge, any amount is welcome to combat the region's drought, Mr. Ryan said.
"This is well-needed rain," he said. "It's probably not going to end the drought, but we're certainly on our way to getting into a better situation as far as the drought is concerned."
Slick roads didn't help driving conditions across the area. Mesquite police reported working 19 traffic accidents between midnight Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday – twice the normal number of accidents.
Dallas police reported working 100 injury accidents between midnight Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.
Fort Worth police reported working 104 accidents during the same time span, although not all involved injuries.
None of the departments said how many of the accidents were weather-related.
Staff writers Ty A. Allison and Margarita Martín-Hidalgo contributed to this report.
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Drought isn't over just yet
From The Dallas Morning News
The good news: The weekend rains will help fight the drought in North Texas, said Dan Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
The bad news: So much rain fell so quickly that a large amount of it ran off.
"Initially, when we were having the lighter rain, that's very good for the drought, because it falls so gently it'll soak into the ground," Mr. Dixon said.
As for Sunday's rain, "This certainly does help the drought situation, but it's not going to alleviate it completely."
A cold front was expected to move in overnight, bringing an end to the rain and sending temperatures into the 30s, said Ted Ryan, a weather service meteorologist. He said to expect a high today of 70, and highs in the 50s for Tuesday and Wednesday. A slow warming trend, with highs hovering around 60 degrees, is expected on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
From The Dallas Morning News
The good news: The weekend rains will help fight the drought in North Texas, said Dan Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
The bad news: So much rain fell so quickly that a large amount of it ran off.
"Initially, when we were having the lighter rain, that's very good for the drought, because it falls so gently it'll soak into the ground," Mr. Dixon said.
As for Sunday's rain, "This certainly does help the drought situation, but it's not going to alleviate it completely."
A cold front was expected to move in overnight, bringing an end to the rain and sending temperatures into the 30s, said Ted Ryan, a weather service meteorologist. He said to expect a high today of 70, and highs in the 50s for Tuesday and Wednesday. A slow warming trend, with highs hovering around 60 degrees, is expected on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
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W. Texas firefighter remains critically injured
AMARILLO, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – In his hospital bed with a brace protecting his three broken neck bones, volunteer firefighter Jeff Cook remembers fellow firefighter James McMorries' promise as they left to battle a raging Panhandle wildfire.
"I'm not going to take you where I know you're going to get hurt."
They were just off Interstate 40 in a field near Alanreed on March 12, a day when hundreds of blazes broke out in the parched region, ultimately burning some 960,000 acres and killing 11 people.
McMorries was driving in an area where graters had moved brush to prevent the fire from spreading, also pushing up the hard, cracked dirt and leaving behind soft sand. Then Joseph Garcia, the firefighter standing on the front of the truck with the hose, saw flames approaching from another direction and motioned to McMorries, who quickly backed up.
But the top-heavy truck loaded with water suddenly turned over and rolled down a 60-foot-deep ravine several yards away. All three men were thrown out. Several fire crews nearby rushed to pull them out as the fire raced toward them.
"He kept his word," Cook told The Associated Press. "It wasn't his fault that the dirt gave way."
McMorries, 62, remained on life support and was listed in critical condition Sunday at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo. McMorries has a broken back, aspirated lungs and broken ribs and has suffered two strokes, relatives said.
Cook, 45, who also punctured his lung and broke several ribs, suffered no paralysis and is expected to fully recover but will need surgery, he said.
Garcia, 25, who has been released from the hospital, burned his hand, broke his leg in two places and needs surgery. He and his wife are expecting a baby this summer, friends said.
The men are with the volunteer fire department in Howardwick, a lakeside community of some 400 residents about 50 miles southeast of Amarillo.
Although the city's insurance is expected to cover their medical bills, the men will miss weeks or months of work. For donations, accounts have been set up in the men's names or Howardwick Firefighters at Amarillo National Bank and Bank of America branches.
The town had only six volunteer firefighters and aging, faulty equipment until Jan. 1, when a wildfire scorched 22,000 acres in Donley County, threatening Howardwick.
Folks were so shaken that 25 more people signed up to be firefighters – including McMorries, who owns an appraisal company in Amarillo. He also is a longtime rancher and years ago worked for another city's fire and rescue team, said his stepdaughter, Megan Bowes.
McMorries then donated tires and radios for the fire trucks, encouraged others to donate items and did mechanical work on the engines, but he never wanted recognition, his friends and relatives said.
"That's all he wants to do, to be part of something to help people," Bowes said. "Yea, we worried (about the firefighting dangers) but you just don't think it's going to happen to you. And you can't tell him he can't do something. He's just a stubborn cowboy."
Doctors have operated to relieve pressure in McMorries' brain and will do tests to assess his brain activity, Bowes said.
"We know it's in God's hands, and what's going to happen is going to happen," Bowes said. "It's just the waiting that's hard."
The accident also has been hard on the closeknit community. Many residents have made the hour-long drive to and from the hospital daily all week. When Cook was able to get out of bed, the first thing he wanted to do was visit Garcia and McMorries in their rooms.
Cook, who works at an oil refinery in nearby Borger, said he plans to resume being a volunteer firefighter as soon as he recovers.
"You get to the point where you work with people, and everybody's going to take care of each other. They're going to risk their lives for you, just like you're going to risk your life," Cook said. "It was just a freak accident. If everybody quit, you'd be in real problems then."
AMARILLO, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – In his hospital bed with a brace protecting his three broken neck bones, volunteer firefighter Jeff Cook remembers fellow firefighter James McMorries' promise as they left to battle a raging Panhandle wildfire.
"I'm not going to take you where I know you're going to get hurt."
They were just off Interstate 40 in a field near Alanreed on March 12, a day when hundreds of blazes broke out in the parched region, ultimately burning some 960,000 acres and killing 11 people.
McMorries was driving in an area where graters had moved brush to prevent the fire from spreading, also pushing up the hard, cracked dirt and leaving behind soft sand. Then Joseph Garcia, the firefighter standing on the front of the truck with the hose, saw flames approaching from another direction and motioned to McMorries, who quickly backed up.
But the top-heavy truck loaded with water suddenly turned over and rolled down a 60-foot-deep ravine several yards away. All three men were thrown out. Several fire crews nearby rushed to pull them out as the fire raced toward them.
"He kept his word," Cook told The Associated Press. "It wasn't his fault that the dirt gave way."
McMorries, 62, remained on life support and was listed in critical condition Sunday at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo. McMorries has a broken back, aspirated lungs and broken ribs and has suffered two strokes, relatives said.
Cook, 45, who also punctured his lung and broke several ribs, suffered no paralysis and is expected to fully recover but will need surgery, he said.
Garcia, 25, who has been released from the hospital, burned his hand, broke his leg in two places and needs surgery. He and his wife are expecting a baby this summer, friends said.
The men are with the volunteer fire department in Howardwick, a lakeside community of some 400 residents about 50 miles southeast of Amarillo.
Although the city's insurance is expected to cover their medical bills, the men will miss weeks or months of work. For donations, accounts have been set up in the men's names or Howardwick Firefighters at Amarillo National Bank and Bank of America branches.
The town had only six volunteer firefighters and aging, faulty equipment until Jan. 1, when a wildfire scorched 22,000 acres in Donley County, threatening Howardwick.
Folks were so shaken that 25 more people signed up to be firefighters – including McMorries, who owns an appraisal company in Amarillo. He also is a longtime rancher and years ago worked for another city's fire and rescue team, said his stepdaughter, Megan Bowes.
McMorries then donated tires and radios for the fire trucks, encouraged others to donate items and did mechanical work on the engines, but he never wanted recognition, his friends and relatives said.
"That's all he wants to do, to be part of something to help people," Bowes said. "Yea, we worried (about the firefighting dangers) but you just don't think it's going to happen to you. And you can't tell him he can't do something. He's just a stubborn cowboy."
Doctors have operated to relieve pressure in McMorries' brain and will do tests to assess his brain activity, Bowes said.
"We know it's in God's hands, and what's going to happen is going to happen," Bowes said. "It's just the waiting that's hard."
The accident also has been hard on the closeknit community. Many residents have made the hour-long drive to and from the hospital daily all week. When Cook was able to get out of bed, the first thing he wanted to do was visit Garcia and McMorries in their rooms.
Cook, who works at an oil refinery in nearby Borger, said he plans to resume being a volunteer firefighter as soon as he recovers.
"You get to the point where you work with people, and everybody's going to take care of each other. They're going to risk their lives for you, just like you're going to risk your life," Cook said. "It was just a freak accident. If everybody quit, you'd be in real problems then."
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TexasStooge
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Collin County lifts burn ban
Collin County has lifted its drought-related burn ban.
Fire Marshal Steve Deffibaugh said he recommended that restrictions be eased Tuesday because of the recent "blessing" of rainfall.
"Much of the vegetation is turning green," Deffibaugh said in a statement. "I recommended that the burn ban, disaster declaration for wildfire and the Executive Order coinciding with the disaster declaration be terminated."
Collin County Judge Ron Harris lifted the ban, declaration and order, but legal outdoor burning will be decided each day, depending on weather conditions.
The county said anyone who wishes to conduct outdoor burning should call the fire marshal's hotline—972-548-4799—to confirm that that there are no restrictions.
While the burn ban was eased Tuesday, outdoor burning was prohibited due to windy conditions.
Collin County has lifted its drought-related burn ban.
Fire Marshal Steve Deffibaugh said he recommended that restrictions be eased Tuesday because of the recent "blessing" of rainfall.
"Much of the vegetation is turning green," Deffibaugh said in a statement. "I recommended that the burn ban, disaster declaration for wildfire and the Executive Order coinciding with the disaster declaration be terminated."
Collin County Judge Ron Harris lifted the ban, declaration and order, but legal outdoor burning will be decided each day, depending on weather conditions.
The county said anyone who wishes to conduct outdoor burning should call the fire marshal's hotline—972-548-4799—to confirm that that there are no restrictions.
While the burn ban was eased Tuesday, outdoor burning was prohibited due to windy conditions.
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TexasStooge
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Fast-moving wildfires destroy homes in Amarillo
AMARILLO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Two wildfires erupted Thursday in this dry and windy city, destroying three homes and threatening about 40 others, officials said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
About 400 acres were burning, though exact estimates were difficult because wind gusts of nearly 40 mph grounded Forest Service aircraft, agency spokeswoman Traci Weaver said.
Several cars were burning in a junkyard, and authorities were trying to evacuate homes in the area, but most efforts were focused on protecting the homes in the fire's path, said Amarillo Fire Capt. Bob Johnson.
"We did save a lot of (structures), but it was moving so fast," Johnson said. "It kept jumping highways, too."
The temperature was in the high 60s with a relative humidity of 12 percent.
Weaver said the conditions were similar to March 12, when hundreds of blazes broke out in the parched region, burning some 960,000 acres and killing 11 people. Since Dec. 26, more than 11,000 fires have burned about 4.9 million acres and destroyed about 400 homes, according to Gov. Rick Perry's office.
The fires were burning about 17 miles from the nation's only nuclear weapons assembly facility, but the westerly winds meant it likely wouldn't be threatened, Weaver said.
Amarillo, a city of 176,000, is in the Texas Panhandle, about 335 miles northwest of Dallas.
AMARILLO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Two wildfires erupted Thursday in this dry and windy city, destroying three homes and threatening about 40 others, officials said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
About 400 acres were burning, though exact estimates were difficult because wind gusts of nearly 40 mph grounded Forest Service aircraft, agency spokeswoman Traci Weaver said.
Several cars were burning in a junkyard, and authorities were trying to evacuate homes in the area, but most efforts were focused on protecting the homes in the fire's path, said Amarillo Fire Capt. Bob Johnson.
"We did save a lot of (structures), but it was moving so fast," Johnson said. "It kept jumping highways, too."
The temperature was in the high 60s with a relative humidity of 12 percent.
Weaver said the conditions were similar to March 12, when hundreds of blazes broke out in the parched region, burning some 960,000 acres and killing 11 people. Since Dec. 26, more than 11,000 fires have burned about 4.9 million acres and destroyed about 400 homes, according to Gov. Rick Perry's office.
The fires were burning about 17 miles from the nation's only nuclear weapons assembly facility, but the westerly winds meant it likely wouldn't be threatened, Weaver said.
Amarillo, a city of 176,000, is in the Texas Panhandle, about 335 miles northwest of Dallas.
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TexasStooge
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Fires in Amarillo now under control
AMARILLO, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – Two fast-moving wildfires erupted in this dry and windy Texas Panhandle city Thursday, destroying eight homes and several structures before they were brought under control a few hours later, Texas Forest Service officials said.
About 400 acres burned, but estimates were difficult because wind gusts of nearly 40 mph grounded Forest Service aircraft, spokeswoman Traci Weaver said. There were no immediate injury reports, and the fires were 90 percent contained Thursday afternoon, she said.
Weaver said officials were initially concerned because weather conditions were similar to those on March 12, when hundreds of blazes broke out in the parched region, burning some 960,000 acres and killing 11 people. Since Dec. 26, more than 11,000 fires have burned about 4.9 million acres and destroyed about 400 homes, according to Gov. Rick Perry's office.
Amarillo Fire Capt. Bob Johnson said several structures were destroyed Thursday.
"We did save a lot of them, but it was moving so fast," Johnson said. "It kept jumping highways, too."
Winds were blowing out of the west at 32 mph, with gusts up to 39 mph, National Weather Service officials said. Temperatures were in the high 60s with a relative humidity of 12 percent.
The fires were burning about 17 miles southwest of the sprawling Pantex plant, the nation's only nuclear weapons assembly facility.
About 176,000 people live in Amarillo, which is about 335 miles northwest of Dallas.
AMARILLO, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – Two fast-moving wildfires erupted in this dry and windy Texas Panhandle city Thursday, destroying eight homes and several structures before they were brought under control a few hours later, Texas Forest Service officials said.
About 400 acres burned, but estimates were difficult because wind gusts of nearly 40 mph grounded Forest Service aircraft, spokeswoman Traci Weaver said. There were no immediate injury reports, and the fires were 90 percent contained Thursday afternoon, she said.
Weaver said officials were initially concerned because weather conditions were similar to those on March 12, when hundreds of blazes broke out in the parched region, burning some 960,000 acres and killing 11 people. Since Dec. 26, more than 11,000 fires have burned about 4.9 million acres and destroyed about 400 homes, according to Gov. Rick Perry's office.
Amarillo Fire Capt. Bob Johnson said several structures were destroyed Thursday.
"We did save a lot of them, but it was moving so fast," Johnson said. "It kept jumping highways, too."
Winds were blowing out of the west at 32 mph, with gusts up to 39 mph, National Weather Service officials said. Temperatures were in the high 60s with a relative humidity of 12 percent.
The fires were burning about 17 miles southwest of the sprawling Pantex plant, the nation's only nuclear weapons assembly facility.
About 176,000 people live in Amarillo, which is about 335 miles northwest of Dallas.
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