Texas wildfires fueled by gusty winds prompt evacuations

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

EASTLAND, Texas (AP) — Low humidity and gusty winds fueled multiple wildfires Friday in Texas, burning homes and other structures and prompting evacuations of hundreds of homes in small communities.

Several wildfires merged to form what fire officials call a “complex” that was burning near Eastland, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) west of Dallas.

As of Friday morning, the fires had burned about 62.5 square miles (162 square kilometers), according to Texas A&M Forest Service. It was only 2% contained and fires were burning in thick brush and grass fields. The forest service warned that the “rare, high impact wildfire phenomenon” could also affect parts of Oklahoma and Kansas.

About 18,000 people live in Eastland County, where the large fire was burning. About 475 homes were evacuated in the town of Gorman, but officials don’t yet know how many structures may have burned, said Matthew Ford, spokesman for Texas A&M Forest Service.



A family walks through smoke down the Arnold Blvd. frontage road after evacuating the Continental Villa mobile home park in Abilene, Texas Thursday March 17, 2022. A quickly-moving grass fire was heading that way, prompting officials to order the evacuation. (Ronald W. Erdrich/The Abilene Reporter-News via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-fires-environment-texas-dallas-220d501ce851321262c3d44d0cec3899

[Paladin]

1. Creepy response from DU Texas Haters in 3--2--1........

[Rebl2]

7. What?

[Mawspam2]

2. Let me guess. Abbott will blame...

Green New Deal
Planned Parenthood
Critical Race Theory
Demon-crats
Gun registration laws
High Taxes
Dr. Fauci

[Jetheels]

4. And...

Trans people
LGBT
Women seeking abortions
Her emails

I know this might sound harsh but I hope
AOC doesn’t step in and try and repair Texas again.

[ffr]

3. A bit early for wildfires, I'd say.

But then, it's been another dry Winter.

Maybe this will help persuade conservatives about Global Warming concerns. But, if anything, I think wildfires in March will only harden their resolve to double-down on a losing strategy.

[Lonestarblue]

5. Water is a constant worry here, and yet Abbott works to draw more and more industry.

Jobs are great, but not when they come with the potential inability to provide water to all the new people and support businesses moving to the state. We are already required to ration water through limits on how often grass and plants can be watered. Insurance rates have gone up because of the dry land and trees that are fuel for fires. Much of the Southwest has discovered how excess growth and drought caused by climate change have combined to make water a precious commodity. Our governor acts as if there’s a limitless supply.

[Coventina]

10. It's exactly the same here in AZ. We attract more an more companies.

More and more employees

Less and less water.


I don't get it.

[DBoon]

6. If you want to do something about global warming in Texas

Here is the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Cub: https://www.sierraclub.org/texas

[howardmappel]

8. Should have followed Trump's instructions

And do a better job of raking.

[SmittyWerben]

9. I have driven through Gorman many times on my travels to west Texas.

It is a farming community, peanuts mainly, and smells amazing when the peanuts are being roasted (no pun intended). Lots of scrub trees, oaks and hedge rows, fire in that area can be a nightmare to contain.