Weather conditions have caused wildfires to spread in Texas, resulting in evacuations of some communities, but so far no one was reported injured on Friday.
Per the Associated Press (AP):
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.
In a social media post Thursday evening, the Texas A&M Forest Service said fires were sweeping across approximately 13,000 acres.
Flames quickly spread through dry grass west of Abilene, Texas near Old Highway 80 Thursday, March 17, 2022. (Ronald W. Erdrich/The Abilene Reporter-News via AP)
An image showed the Eastland Complex fire’s location, which was near Cross Plains, Carbon, and Cisco:
The forest service noted Friday morning in an update the Eastland Complex spread across approximately 39,883 acres:
Eastland County has approximately 18,000 residents.
WILDFIRE DANGER: Texas wildfires fueled by gusty winds prompt evacuations.STORY: https://www.kxxv.com/news/texas-wildfires-fueled-by-gusty-winds-prompt-evacuations
Posted by 25 News KXXV on Friday, March 18, 2022
Video footage taken early Friday showed the blaze spread out over large areas:
“Other smaller fires were burning throughout other areas of Texas, and Thursday’s low humidity and high winds created an ideal scenario for the blazes to quickly grow out of control,” the AP report said.
A resident named Brien Hoskins lost his home and pets due to the fire in Carbon.
“Just trying to make a living for me and my wife. It’s all gone,” he said, adding, “I just hope that somebody can help us get another home.”
In an update on Friday, the Eastland Fire Department reported the forest service and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) firefighters joined with local agencies, working together throughout the night regarding the wildfires:
Wildfire Update – March 18, 2022 0940 amTexas A&M Forest Service and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS)…
Posted by Eastland Fire Department on Friday, March 18, 2022
“Strong winds and critically dry grasses contributed to extreme fire behavior and rapid rates of spread across the landscape. Fire crews continued to focus on life safety and structure protection as well as constructing containment lines where possible,” the department said.
According to the AP article, officials had not reported any injuries as of Friday morning.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.