High winds and dry conditions fuel fires
FORT WORTH (AP) -- High winds and bone-dry conditions have fueled numerous wildfires across much of North Texas.
Homes have been destroyed and people in some small towns had to be evacuated. Some schools and a nursing home were also evacuated.
The towns of Sunset and Stoneburg in Montague (mahn-TAYG') County were left in a heap of debris and ashes yesterday as several dozen homes were destroyed. Television news footage showed burning houses and oil tanks and the charred remnants of buildings.
The Texas Forest Service said several fires totaling about 25,000 acres prompted the evacuations of Montague (mahn-TAYG'), Saint Jo and Bowie about 65 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
No injuries have been reported in any of the blazes fueled by high winds and dry conditions across much of North Texas.
Meanwhile, Wichita County Sheriff David Duke said at one point, they had 10 fires burning.
Firefighters battled a more than 5,000-acre wildfire near Electra that destroyed one agriculture company's buildings and warehouses.
Thick, black smoke from burning debris inside the buildings as well as the grass prompted authorities to shut down a few miles of U.S. Highway 287 for several hours.
Here's more:
-- In Archer County, firefighters last night battled a 4,000-acre fire -- resulting from two blazes that combined -- east of Archer City that already destroyed three homes, about 90 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
-- In Stephens County, residents near Breckenridge were evacuated yesterday afternoon when a 3,000-acre fire threatened an apartment complex.
-- The Texas Forest Service says fires also were burning last night in parts of Hamilton, San Saba, Brown, Jones, Palo Pinto, Hood and Cooke counties.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
