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Wind Keeps Wildfires Burning Through Weekend

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Apr 5, 2009 4:55 pm US/Central

Wind Keeps Wildfires Burning Through Weekend

WHEELER (AP) ― Firefighters from the Texas-Oklahoma border to the Gulf Coast battled wind-whipped wildfires Sunday.  

The largest of those fires, an 15,000-acre blaze near the Panhandle town of Wheeler, destroyed eight homes and 26 outbuildings, including barns and garages. An unknown number of cattle were killed, according to the Texas Forest Service.

Forest Service spokeswoman Jeanne Eastham said Sunday that the fire was about 25 percent contained. Strong winds continued to hamper firefighting efforts there and elsewhere.

Four houses, two businesses and six outbuildings were destroyed in a fire in Aransas County on the Gulf Coast late Sunday afternoon. The fire, which covered about 70 acres, threatened at least 100 homes.

A 200-acre fire broke out in Wichita County. Small fires also broke out in Bastrop, Taylor, Cooke, Titus and Bowie counties.

Many of Wheeler's 1,300 residents were evacuated Saturday after the wildfire jumped the North Fork of the Red River, threatening the town, about 90 miles east of Amarillo. They were able to return home Saturday night.

Forest Service spokesman Lewis Kearney said power had been restored to the town of Wheeler on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a 2,170-acre wildfire in Jack County was about 75 percent contained Sunday, officials said. More than a dozen households were evacuated Saturday night, but were allowed to return home about midnight.

Sarah Johnson, National Weather Service meteorologist in Amarillo, said Sunday's winds were not a strong as they had been on Saturday, when winds were at a 67 mph maximum.

"Winds (Sunday) were at 20 to 30 miles per hour from the north, with gusts upward of 40 miles per hour," Johnson said.

Eastham said the winds and gusts were making it difficult to control the fire.

"Anytime you have the wind, it makes it harder to control the fire," she said. "They really have a lot of crews up there to hold that line and reinforce it. And they have assistance from surrounding counties."

Three smaller wildfires were reported Saturday also continued to burn Sunday. A 300-acre blaze in Jeff Davis County was about 60 percent contained on Sunday. Crews worked late Saturday night and on Sunday were also battling a 410-acre fire in Shackelford County that was 75 percent contained. Officials said a 100-acre fire in Nolan County was five percent contained.

Forest Service officials said 24 firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion Saturday. All but four were able to return to work.



 

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