Low humidity and gusty winds are fueling multiple wildfires in West Texas, burning homes and other structures and forcing small communities to evacuate.
EASTLAND, Texas – Low humidity and gusty winds fueled multiple wildfires in West Texas on Friday, burning homes and other structures and forcing small communities to evacuate.
Several wildfires have erupted, which fire officials call a “complex” that was burning about 120 miles (195 kilometers) west of Dallas, near Eastland.
As of Friday morning, the fire had burned about 62.5 square miles (162 square kilometers), according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. It was only 2% controlled and the fire was burning in thick brushes and grass fields.
Other small fires were burning across other parts of Texas and the low humidity and high winds on Thursday created an ideal situation for the fire to get out of control quickly. The Texas A&M Forest Service warned of a wildfire outbreak this week due to the forecast.
No injuries were reported.
A nursing home at Rising Star has been evacuated and residents have been taken to a community center, Eastland County Today reported.
About 10 miles (16 kilometers) northeast of Eastland – in the small town of Ranger – a church and several buildings in the town burned down on Thursday, the Dallas TV station WFAA reported. Darrell Fox, head of the Ranger Fire Department, said the fire may have started from a barbecue pit due to strong winds.
“Everything was ready for us across the county,” Fox said “But when we have air like air … and humidity goes down, that’s what you’re going to get.”