(Bloomberg) -- The worst wildfire in Texas history expanded by more than 20% as new blazes were sparked and spread by strong gusts blowing across parched fields and forests.
The conflagrations that erupted late last week and prompted evacuations of hundreds of homes west of the Dallas metropolitan area had grown to more than 54,000 acres by early Sunday. New evacuations were ordered Sunday evening. Governor Greg Abbott described the blaze as the largest wildfire in Texas history without outlining his criteria.
The Eastland Complex fire was 30% contained before daylight Sunday, but as the day wore on new blazes cropped up, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, one of the Lone Star state's primary disaster-response agencies.
The fire has destroyed dozens of homes, officials said, and an Eastland County sheriff's deputy was killed when her car was engulfed in flames while driving to check on an elderly individual, the sheriff's office said.
Two-thirds of the state was under “very high” or “extreme” fire-danger conditions on Sunday, including San Antonio, Texas's second-largest city, the capitol of Austin and much of the Permian Basin oilfield. An urgent plea was issued for donations of hay, livestock feed and fencing supplies for ranchers burned out or evacuated from their properties.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
