Fires rage across Texas, turning drought-stricken state into raging inferno

Sunday, September 04, 2011 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: Texas, wildfires, health news

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(NaturalNews) High winds whipped up devastating fires across Texas Sunday and sent them coursing through the tinderbox landscape at record speed. Across central Texas, spanning Austin, Waco and even approaching Shreveport, wildfires leapt across the drought-stricken state with astounding speed.

Many thousands of acres burned across the state Sunday, including a 14,000-acre fire in Bastrop, Texas, where hundreds of houses were destroyed and mandatory evacuations were issued. Click here to see a video of the fire which closed the highways there.

Another video has been posted on YouTube, showing the enormous smoke clouds that almost look like the aftermath of a volcanic eruption:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wELdKgk80e8&f...

Here's a link to some stunning photographs that really depict the magnitude of the fires:
http://pic.twitter.com/wbHnDKT

(Photo taken by Wendy Moore.)

Fires also broke out in Travis County, Texas, where Austin is located. In Pflugerville, North of Austin, fires broke out but were later contained. As of Sunday afternoon, some of the fires raging across Texas included:

Colorado County - Bailey Fire- 1,000 Acres
Fayette County - Lutherhill Fire- 250 Acres
Bastrop County - Bastrop Fire- 14,000 Acres
Caldwell County - Delhi Fire- 1,000 Acres
Limestone County - CR491 Fire- 3,000 Acres
Van Zandt County - Bonbiew Ranch Fire- 350 Acres
Anderson County - Henderson Fire- 200 Acres
Harrison County - Linden 538 Fire- 200 Acres
Gregg County - Linden 543 Fire- 300 Acres

Tonight, tens of thousands of Texans have been either forced out of their homes or made instantly homeless by the devastation. Emergency crews have been recalled from their Labor Day weekend to help fight the fires that still rage well into the night.

More details about the fires raging across central Texas are found at KXAN.com:
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/information-on-...

Confirmed hit: Steiner Ranch, Spicewood, Liberty Hill, Bastrop, La Grange and more. Mandatory evacuations have been issued in several areas.

More information at:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/share...

Personal note: I am safe from the fires and well prepared to face just about anything. My emergency go bag is in my car, which is also ready with emergency supplies, LED lights, water filter, radios, emergency medicine, a Swiss camp axe, combat knife and quite a lot more that I won't go into. So don't worry about me. I'm better prepared than most, and we're actually trying to figure out how to pitch in and help the locals once the smoke clears. Right now it's mostly just everybody scrambling, with emergency sirens blaring down the highways, planes flying overhead, etc. Mostly on my part this is about helping people get food, shelter, clothing, etc., and perhaps help rescue animals who have been left homeless too.

Please send your prayers to Texas tonight, as thousands of people are impacted by this devastating chain of firestorms raging across the state. This may continue well into Monday as well. Watch the NaturalNews Facebook page for details: www.Facebook.com/HealthRanger

We are also tweeting updates at:
http://twitter.com/#!/HealthRanger

More updates to come tomorrow, unless we are forced to evacuate the Austin area... but we'll still find a way to post on FB and Twitter either way.