TEXAS: 17 new fires reported over the weekend
Red Flag Warnings
The imposing W. Texas night sky would probably look pretty much the same long after 2016
A view of the Rock House wildfire seen from the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains, W. Texas, dated April 9, 2011 . Image Credit: Photo Credit: Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory
Texas Wildfires Update
Report: Monday, April 25, 2011
- National Preparedness Level: 1
- Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
- TFS Preparedness Level: 5
Burn Bans
- 208 of the 254 Texas counties are reporting burn bans
Texas Fires YTD Totals
- Fires: 6,251 [17 new fires]
- Acres Burned: 1,837,958
- Structures Destroyed: 902
- Source: Texas Forest Service (TFS)
Fatalities
- Two firefighters have lost their lives, including one near Lubbock who was killed yesterday.
- Two sightseers were killed as their plane circled over fires Tuesday.
Livestock
NO official figures have been released so far. However, FIRE-EARTH estimates that up to 20,000 heads of cattle may have been killed or injured as a result of the deadly fires since beginning of the year.
Dry Conditions Decimating Texas Crops
Texas farmers produce about 100 million bushels of wheat on average each year, but they would be lucky to produce a third of that amount this year, says Texas AgriLife Extension Service .
“This year’s crop condition ratings show about 40 percent of the Texas crop in very poor condition, which compares with 65 percent very poor in March of 2006 and 53 percent very poor in May of 2009,” said Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist specializing in grain marketing and policy.
Weather Stories
Austin/ San Antonio
Midland/ Odessa [Click images to enlarge]
Lubbock
Fire Weather Outlooks

Related Links
- Texas Fires: More Towns Evacuated
- TEXAS ON FIRE
- Wildfires Devastating Texas; Gov. Perry Tours
- Local officials in a parched Texas county have resorted to asking their constituents to pray for rain
- Drought sears farmers’ hopes: They had wanted to take advantage of record prices for commodities
- U.S. Agrees to Help Fight Mexico Wildfires