Texas Wildfires Destroy 12 Homes In Amarillo

AMARILLO, Texas -- Two wildfires have destroyed at least 12 homes on the outskirts of the Texas Panhandle city of Amarillo.

Texas Forest Service spokesman Marq Webb says the fires began burning early Sunday evening but were contained by Monday night. He says low humidity, temperatures in the 100s and high winds created favorable conditions for fires.

He says firefighters are still battling wildfires across Texas on Monday. About 2.8 million acres have burned in the state since November.

The Forest Service reports one of the fires is on the southern edge of Amarillo. It destroyed five homes and damaged four others. Another fire to the northwest burned through more than 1,200 acres and destroyed seven homes.

Evacuations orders have been lifted in both areas.

Comments

[POPE INNOCENT]

12:06 AM on 06/01/2011

Here is GOVERNMENT WEATHER CONTROL!!

What in the world are they spraying?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf0khstYDLA

[Rude Monk]

11:03 AM on 06/01/2011

They're using dessicants (absorb all the moisture from the air).
After a couple of years of heavy dumping,everything becomes bone dry.

[POPE INNOCENT]

11:22 AM on 06/01/2011

Quite true Rude Monk.

Ive having a good week a lot churches closing and consolidating and getting a lot of GOLD CUPS for my gold cup collection.
:)
Bibi was just on the phone. Netanyahu wants me to make seat for him on my POPE MOBILE! He is thirsty and wants one of my gold cups... Well he aint gonna get it. I am the only God on earth. That little kabbalah demi-god can steal some palestine water AND DRINK IT IN A PAPER CUP TO GO!!

[keep it solid]

08:02 PM on 05/31/2011

stay safe folks

[Barbara DeZan]

06:19 PM on 05/31/2011

Anybody put a call into the Gov?????

[Deep Thinking Man]

04:53 PM on 05/31/2011

i've said it before...if people would do a small "controlled burn" disasters like this wouldn't happen.

[fireart]

03:46 PM on 05/31/2011

No matter how anyone feels about Texas, The fires are a tragady And people are losing their homes jobs and finances. We should pray for rain, when it comes Texas will care for itself. Remember when you curse Texas you are cursing part of your food supply which is all ready short.

[BlackJAC]

07:46 PM on 05/31/2011

Since when is parboiled roadkill "part of our food supply?"

[InYourWorld]

08:46 PM on 05/31/2011

You understanding of food production is this country is dismal. I assume you live in a city where everything come wrapped in cellophane?

TX, in addition to cotton (7% of worlds cotton), produces 1/6 of the rice in US, is the 3rd largest agricultural exporter in the nation, etc....

[Lesperado]

03:45 PM on 05/31/2011

Cantor says no relief money until we strip everything from our country first.

[Turtlenewz]

12:57 AM on 06/01/2011

F/F

[RuthieBabe]

03:24 PM on 05/31/2011

I drove through that area late last week and was horrified to see how dry that part of the state is. The wind was blowing abt 30 miles or more an hour and every field that had been plowed for cotton or other crops was blowing away. In some places, the dust was so thick that it was hard to see the car on the road in front of me. My grandparents were farmers and it hurts to see all that soil blowing away. I have never seen Amarillo so dry in the Spring before.

[HKB]

03:23 PM on 05/31/2011

Texas is a goofy state

but the people of Texas don't deserve wildfires anymore than anyone else ... natural disasters shouldn't be viewed as a 'punishement' to anyone or place ..... regardless of what the religious right proclaims.

[BlackJAC]

07:47 PM on 05/31/2011

Sure they do! They wet their beds, and now they have to lie in it.

[InYourWorld]

08:48 PM on 05/31/2011

So residents of a state that has a government you don't agree with deserve bad things to happen, even including natural disasters?

See to be more hate filled than those you vilify.

[katyland]

06:01 PM on 06/01/2011

see thats how texans feel about intitilments,

[mnyegele]

03:21 PM on 05/31/2011

Hey, what happened?
I clearly remember on Good Friday, Gov. Perry announced that he was going to pray to God to ask for rain? So, more drought and more wild fires? Is this the way God answers prayers???
Truth told: Droughts are a by-product of global climate change. That's an act of Man, not an act of God.
It is our responsibility to solve the problem, not God's
Gov.Perry and the GOP should stop asking God to do their homework,

[julieintx]

06:11 PM on 05/31/2011

A lot of texas got rain after that rain prayer. In fact, that was the only rain my city has gotten all year. The Dallas area has been inundated since. But Texas is big, and many parts are still very VERY dry.

[1oldhippie]

02:46 PM on 05/31/2011

If Perry was as concerned about his state, as he is secession and a presidential run, they might get those fires under control...

[InYourWorld]

04:29 PM on 05/31/2011

he has zero to do with fire supression. It's up to the BLM, DNR, Foreset Service, etc......

[traceymarie]

07:29 PM on 05/31/2011

He is the govenor and it is his responsibility

[fireart]

03:50 PM on 05/31/2011

Remember you are the last in line at safeway when the food gets short.

[julieintx]

06:12 PM on 05/31/2011

Progressive civility.

[BlackJAC]

07:48 PM on 05/31/2011

Conservative censorship of Free Speech due to their coveting of political correctness.

[rdennist]

02:14 PM on 05/31/2011

This is a sad story. I assume the story refers to the state Forest Service, because we all know that Perry wouldn't possibly consider using Federal resources, right?

[TurnSeiki]

01:56 PM on 05/31/2011

Governor Perry, I think you're at a disadvantage. You need more people that look and act like the ones effected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. That's the only way you'll get the sympathy and assistance of the gub'ment. You're just too self-sufficient. You have to look and act like you "need" them before you have a calamity. Thankfully, the people being effected are NOT like the ones in New Orleans and probably have insurance and assets to juggle so that they don't "need" a handout.

[swimbiker]

03:17 PM on 05/31/2011

Then why is Perry begging for handouts?

[mtdem4ever]

03:38 PM on 05/31/2011

Your post is wrong on so many levels. Texas has received 22 grants, 16 in one month, to pay for all of this. They ARE receiving handouts and Perry DID take $6 billion in stimulus money (intended to stimulate the economy) and used it to balance his budget.

Perry is a fraud and a liar. You follow him well.

[rgilley]

01:02 PM on 05/31/2011

And as wild fires destroy homes Gov Perry seeks to cut funding that fights thise fres in order to insure the corporate elites in Texas get their tax cuts. Republicans are not even trying to hide their Fascist elitism anymore....maybey because they have a New plan for 2012 huh? THIS!]]

"Republicans are exploring a new strategy - repealing the 1965 Voter Rights Act..."
http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2011/02/republicans-are-exploring-new-strategy-repealing-1965-voter-rights-act

Republican State Governments Trying To Destroy Voting Rights Of Those Likely To Vote For Democratic Party In 2012
http://www.theprogressiveprofessor.com/?p=13953

This is happening all over the country. Newly empowered Republican legislatures have been imposing onerous voter ID laws in at least 32 states, even though in-person voter fraud is virtually nonexistent."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/03/republicans_war_on_voting.html

The GOP's war on voting
The GOP's 2012 Campaign Plan: Disqualify Eligible Voters
A tide of new stricter state voter ID laws proposed by Republicans targets presumed Democratic voters.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all

[julieintx]

06:15 PM on 05/31/2011

Oh, please. Why do Dems always defend voter fraud?

And also, the voting rights act has become detrimental to minority congressmen seeking statewide office.

[traceymarie]

07:32 PM on 05/31/2011

what fraud? There were 4 instances in the last 2 elections and they were repubs

[Turtlenewz]

01:06 AM on 06/01/2011

Voting has consequences . People stayed home during the mid term electons and gave much power to the Tea Party Republicans . All Dems can do is make sure people have proper Id and help people get the ID

[TXconfidnz]

12:59 PM on 05/31/2011

...waiting for some pastors in Texas to start with the "doomsday" claims...