Wildfires Scorch Thousands Of Acres In Texas, Kill 2
Sep 5, 2011 Comments Off Pat Dollard
Austin (AP) – Wildfires fueled in part by high winds from former Tropical Storm Lee have burned thousands of acres across Texas, causing widespread damage and forcing hundreds to evacuate.
A fire near the East texas community of Gladewater killed 20-year-old mother and her daughter when it engulfed the family’s trailer home before they could escape.
Texas Forest Service officials estimated some 1,400 acres were burned in that area alone, destroying homes, barns and vehicles, and thousands of other acres were scorched in other parts of the state.
Wildfires scorched more than 14,000 acres in Bastrop County, just southeast of Austin.
Fox7 Austin reported that the fire had damaged or destroyed more than 300 homes.
Bastrop officials said it could take days to control the fire because their resources are stretched thin across Central Texas.
