Fires in Texas

I know I reported about the fires around Austin yesterday, but it has only grown worse today. There are hundreds of fires across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Hundreds of homes destroyed. Thousands are displaced. To get a feel for the scale of the largest set of fires, go here.

It is strange to be surrounded by so many out of control fires. Every year we hear about the wildfires gobbling up vast tracts of land out west in California, Wyoming and so on, and you feel bad for them, but you have your own life to live.

Please Pray For Rain!

Today’s topic is a bit different, and urgent.

My area of Texas, as I’ve written before is officially under extreme drought conditions. Lakes are less than half full. And today, due to a combination of a cold front moving through and the (DRY!) remnants of tropical depression Lee, we have had severe high winds that have fanned flames of many wildfires. I live near a county line, and both of those counties have been overwhelmed by fires.

One fire has burned over 14,000 acres and is not contained at all in the next county (Bastrop) and has destroyed over 300 homes so far.