11 Dead, 840,000 Acres Burned As Texas Fires Continue - LA Times

[hatrack]

EDIT

All across the Texas Panhandle, stunned residents are trying to come to terms with devastation of historic proportions. Wildfires have consumed more than 840,000 acres and killed 11 people since Sunday, and still they burn.

Three major fires, each about 50% contained, continued to burn in parts of eight counties. In the 24 hours starting midday Monday, the state responded to more than 200 fires covering 191,000 acres. On Tuesday, a 2-mile-long fire sprang up near the town of McLean, east of Amarillo, sending tall stacks of smoke into the air. Planes loaded with tanks of fire retardant were dispatched to the area.

High winds that fanned the flames Sunday were relatively calm Tuesday, but south winds with 45-mph gusts were expected today. "There's the potential for a bad day," Texas Forest Service spokesman Warren Bielenberg said. For Webb, any uptick in wind speed is irrelevant. "There's not much left to burn here," he said. On Sunday, as others fled the area, Webb stayed behind to save his house with the help of the local Fire Department.

As immense wheels of fire rolled in from two directions, Webb hurried to the cattle pens to let the animals out. About two thirds of his black Angus and Hereford cows survived the flames, some losing all of their hair or parts of their ears, tails or hooves. Webb's foreman shot about 50 cows — badly maimed by the fire but still breathing — to put them out of their misery.

EDIT

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-fires15mar15,1,5592725.story?coll=la-news-a_section

[reichstag911]

1. It's God's punishment...

...for inflicting GW upon the rest of us.

[xultar]

4. DAYUM!!! I was gonna say zactly the same thing. ZACTLY!!!

[NNadir]

8. I'm sure there are many fine people, including some liberals who are in

harm's way.

It burns the just and the unjust alike. This is yet another climate catastrophe of vast proportion.

[niyad]

2. so WHERE is "I know a prairie fire when I see on" * the useless--WHY

isn't he there, throwing buckets of water, lending assistance to those actually fighting these terrible fires, etc?

[valerief]

3. That's okay. Their faith-based groups will take care of everything.

They won't need to turn to the government for help. Only Katrina victims milk off old Uncle Sam, right?

[maxsolomon]

5. let it burn

fire renews the land, and ultimately cannot be supressed. yellowstone is proof.

poor cows.

[reichstag911]

6. Let it burn: the "Healthier America Initiative" nt

Regarding the "poor cows": How'd you want that steak? :evilgrin:

[Nihil]

7. Trust Texas ...

... to have a bigger BBQ than anyone else!
:evilgrin: