Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. Know whether you are at risk and protect yourself.
| West Texas residents evacuated as wildfires spread |
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TUSCOLA, Texas — Residents near a small West Texas town were evacuated Thursday and some highways were closed as a 300-acre wildfire destroyed three structures and threatened 70 more, fueled by high winds and parched grass. Helicopters and planes doused houses and other buildings in Taylor County south of Abilene, saving them from the flames as 15 fire departments worked to contain the blaze later in the evening, according to the Texas Forest Service. Parts of State Highways 83 and 84 were closed. Earlene Hutto and her husband were watching the fire near their home that afternoon when a sheriff's deputy knocked on their door and asked them to evacuate. The couple packed up important papers and photos and then, with their son, drove away in the family's three cars, the Abilene Reporter-News reported in Thursday online editions. In Central Texas, firefighters on Thursday were putting out a few remaining hot spots of a 1,500-acre blaze in Bastrop County that started Saturday by a fallen power line and destroyed 28 homes and a dozen businesses. In Brewster County, firefighters had contained about half of an 800-acre fire Thursday night. In Ector County, firefighters had contained about three-fourths of a 640-acre fire that was narrow and about 8 miles long that started by an oil field heater-treater, according to the Texas Forest Service. Also Thursday, firefighters were battling a 15-acre blaze just west of that fire in Pecos County. |
