Officials triple number of homes destroyed in Texas fire

[bemildred]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Some 1,386 homes have been destroyed in a monstrous fire burning southeast of Austin that has destroyed more homes than any other blaze in Texas history, county officials said on Thursday.

The devastating new number -- nearly triple what officials had said earlier in the week -- is the county's "best estimate" of the nearly 34,000-acre fire that's been ripping through this rural, historic community since Sunday, said Bastrop County Emergency Coordinator Mike Fisher.

"This is based on everything we had in (the count) before, plus a house by house and driveway by driveway count we did last night," Fisher said.

The blaze has killed two people, forced the evacuation of 5,000 and was about 30 percent contained Thursday, officials said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/08/us-texas-wildfires-idUSTRE78426D20110908

[TBF]

1. Thank you for this update. Smoke has reached downtown Houston as of today.

"Smoke from the wildfires north of Houston is drifting above portions of the city this morning." More here: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Smoky-haze-from-wildfires-over-Houston-2160825.php

"Waller County also became the new "hot spot" as what's known as the Riley Road fire, which has ravaged at least 7,800 acres in Montgomery, Waller and Grimes counties, flared up again. That forced the evacuation late Wednesday of 2,000 more residents living south of FM 1488 between Kickapoo Road and the Montgomery County line." Much more here: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Dry-trees-brush-drought-a-recipe-for-disaster-2160151.php

[Plucketeer]

2. Not to make light of this..

But if the esteemed governor of this parched state REALLY BELIEVES that these blazes can be quelled with prayer - WHY isn't he leading such with fellow Texans??? Why is he in California, trying to round up contributions to his presidential notions? Shouldn't he be IN Texas - directing fire-fighting forces with his superior tactical expertise?
Obama cut short his vacation to focus on the devastation of a hurricane. Perry's away from his state as it goes up in smoke. Two different approaches to "leadership".

[indepat]

6. If the esteemed governor had a lick of smarts, he would have not gutted funding for firefighting

as a severe drought was in progress. This one action alone makes him unfit imo to govern even a small town, much less a large, populous state or the nation. :patriot:

[RedEarth]

3. Tragic....so much lost..

lives, homes, wildlife, trees. Rain is desperately needed through-out Texas, Oklahoma and many other Southern states.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Perry (R) Announces Further CUTS to Texas Firefighter Funding

-- would not be a surprising headline, if he sees a way to further channel their funds to his FatCat LoneStar Billionaire Cronies while screwing over the firefighters.

Typical RepubliBaggery.

[Bigmack]

5. I think about this on a person level...

Forget Perry and all those assholes for a minute.

Some of those people were under- or un- insured. Where will they live? How will they survive? With businesses going under, you can bet some of those people are out of work and out of a job, too. Some of those people will lose everything.

$16 Billion a month down the bowl in Iraqistan....

This country is dumber than a bag of hammers.