A 12-year-old girl died Tuesday after falling into floodwaters near Flagstaff, Arizona, authorities said.

Shaelyn Wilson had gone to see runoff from a flash flood around 2 p.m., according to the Coconino Sheriff’s Department. A younger sister ran back to tell the father that Shaelyn had fallen into a wash.

The family searched the area near where the girl fell and several agencies also took part in the search, according to Kelli Most, administrative specialist with the sheriff’s department.

The girl was found about a third of a mile from where she went into the water, and her father performed CPR until paramedics arrived. She was pronounced dead at Flagstaff Medical Center.

A massive wildfire last month made the area susceptible to flooding, said Most. “There’s just no greenery there” to prevent runoff, she said. The blaze charred 15,000 acres.

Several small streams pushed over their banks, and flash floods were threatening homes, according to CNN affiliate KPHO.

via Arizona girl, 12, dies in flooding – CNN.com.

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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Jan. 25 (UPI) — California prosecutors say they are seeking the death penalty against a man charged with starting a deadly 2003 wildfire.

Rickie Lee Fowler, 28, imprisoned for burglary since that year, was charged in October with murder and arson in connection with a firestorm that swept through San Bernardino County. Prosecutors now say they will seek the death penalty against Fowler, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

“A decision to seek the death penalty in a case is never an easy one. In fact, it’s the most difficult one we make as prosecutors,” San Bernardino District Attorney Michael Ramos said.

Six men died of heart attacks during the fire, five of which were deemed directly related to the stress of the 91,000-acre wildfire, which forced the evacuations of more than 30 communities and 80,000 people in the San Bernardino area.

Officials also say damage from the fire contributed to a Christmas Day 2003 mudslide that killed 14 people in a church camp.

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Wildfire in Santa Ritas burns nearly 800 acres

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.30.2009

A wildfire is burning south of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains, but much of the area has been burned intentionally to protect nearby properties, authorities said.

The Melendrez Fire, which was caused by a lightning strike, has burned 790 acres but is not threatening any structures, said Heidi Schewel, a Coronado National Forest spokeswoman.

As of Saturday evening there were four fire crews, six engines and a helicopter fighting the fire, Schewel said.

Two more crews, five more engines and another helicopter have been requested, she said.

Much of the land, which is covered in dead grass, brush and partially dead trees, was burned intentionally to set up a perimeter and keep the fire from spreading to nearby properties, she said.

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Hikers rescued from wildfire in Joshua Tree National Park

10:14 PM | May 24, 2009

Twelve hikers trapped at Joshua Tree National Park were airlifted to safety today as a 100-acre wildfire burned in rugged terrain near the park’s historic Lost Horse Mine.

The fire, which began around 4 p.m., trapped the hiking party, according to park ranger Pam Tripp. The hikers were rescued by helicopter. The fire, burning in Joshua trees, pinyon pines and junipers, as well as fast-burning desert grasses, was fanned by late afternoon winds.

The Lost Horse fire is burning in a remote area of rugged hills between the park’s Geology Tour Road and the Keys View Road. Both have been closed to the public.

All other areas of the park remain open, including campgrounds. Officials said minor traffic delays may be encountered.

The terrain hampered efforts of fire crews to get engines near the blaze and hand crews began walking in Sunday evening, Tripp said. The fire is being fought by personnel from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County Fire Department.

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Santa Barbara wildfires force thousands to evacuate; mansions, humble homes destroyed

By Catherine Saillant and Steve Chawkins 

Los Angeles Times 

SANTA BARBARA — Afternoon winds stoked a day-old brush fire into an out-of-control blaze Wednesday, sending it hopscotching across exclusive canyon neighborhoods and leaving firefighters nearly powerless before its advance.

The airborne embers ignited multimillion-dollar homes on the ridgetops. Firefighters did not offer an exact count, but photographers in helicopters in the smoky skies estimated that at least 20 homes had been incinerated.

By night, the fire had torched 500 acres and driven 8,000 people from their homes in Santa Barbara.

The job of about 900 firefighters, air tankers and helicopters was hampered by poor access to the mountainous terrain, officials said, as well as winds of up to 50 mph and dense brush that hadn’t burned in half a century.

“We are in a state of extreme emergency,” said David Sadecki, Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman. “We’re running very, very thin.”

By evening, winds had begun to die down and firefighters gained some control, though they remained wary that winds could kick up again today and fuel the blaze.

The Jesusita fire, named for a nearby trail, is the city’s third major wildfire in nine months.

The fire broke out Tuesday in wildlands and spread through brush north of the city. For most of Tuesday and early Wednesday, the fire seemed relatively tame.

Early Wednesday, firefighters even recalculated the burned acreage to be smaller than first estimated.

 

Then, about 3 p.m., winds known as “sundowners,” typical for Santa Barbara this time of year, whipped down through passes and canyons above the city.

The fire leaped into nearby residential areas in Mission Canyon, a community of mansions tucked along narrow, winding roads amid thick brush and tall trees — and resembling the Oakland hills, which burned to the ground in 1991.

As the fire escalated, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County, freeing federal emergency funds. Three firefighters were injured, including two Ventura County firefighters who suffered moderate burns. A third firefighter was also treated for a minor injury.

James Massie, 52, was at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, the command post for fire crews, where he had driven Wednesday night to find out whether his three-bedroom home at the top of Mission Canyon had survived.

Massie, an inventor who lived in the home with his wife, a graphic artist, had planned to defend their home. But mid-afternoon, he said, they watched flames as high as 100-feet march across the canyon toward them.

“The air was thick with smoke. You could barely breathe,” he said, still dressed in the jeans, workshirt and flip-flops he had worn to battle the fire. “When the winds changed, all bets were off. The energy changed completely. Everything was moving very quickly and there was no guarantee we would live.”

Massie said he and his wife left with artwork, two cats and important documents.

They did not learn whether their house was still standing.

The upper part of the neighborhood now “looks like a moonscape,” said Tim Steele, president of the Mission Canyon Association in a phone interview from a nearby golf course where he was watching the fire.

“I thought we had this one under control,” he said. “I underestimated Mother Nature.”

The association has made brush clearance and fire prevention a top priority, Steele said, even bringing in 250 goats Tuesday to eat away vegetation. The goats were evacuated unharmed after the fire ignited.

But north Santa Barbara is where the city meets the wildlands.

“It doesn’t matter what you do,” Santa Barbara Mayor Pro Tem Dale Francisco told a TV reporter. “When these winds are blowing hard enough, nothing can stop it.”

The Santa Barbara Fire Department’s Sadecki said that the afternoon winds were so fierce that some firefighters were pulled back from the brush and assigned to protect homes. Some later returned to the front lines.

Helicopters and aircraft also were temporarily grounded.

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1,200 homes evacuated as S. Calif. wildfire grows

20 hours ago

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Helicopters soaked hillsides in the darkness early Wednesday in an attempt to hold off a wildfire looming in the foothills above the city.

Some 2,000 homes were threatened by the 400-acre fire that portended an early start to California’s annual wildfire siege. About 1,200 homes were evacuated.

The area’s “sundowner” winds were not especially harsh as night fell Tuesday, leaving the fire’s growth slow.

“It was very unexpected and a very pleasant surprise,” Santa Barbara County fire Capt. David Sadecki told KNBC-TV. “Last night the winds blew very hard all night long. If this had happened last night we’d be in a world of hurt.”

No structures had been lost, but flames pulled within a half-mile of some neighborhoods and there was zero containment, said county spokeswoman Pat Wheatley.

The blaze was pushed by 20-30 mph winds that calmed slightly after midnight, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jamie Meier. Gusts of up to 50 mph were felt earlier Tuesday. Winds were blowing out of the north-northwest and a wind advisory was in effect for the area until 9 a.m. Wednesday.

“There are a number of areas burning pretty vigorously in the upper Mission Canyon area. Those are the areas that are a concern right now,” said Santa Barbara City Fire spokesman John Ahlman.

The fire began Tuesday afternoon in the foothills above San Roque Canyon and quickly grew. The cause is not known, Sadecki said.

Fourteen strike teams, including 70 engines and three helicopters, battled the blaze. The helicopters, often grounded after dark, were expected to fly through the night, Sadecki said.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for neighborhoods spanning an area about 2 1/2 miles wide, officials said.

In rural southeastern Arizona, about 20 firefighters were battling a wildfire that had burned four or five homes and injured one person. The fire had scorched about 2,000 acres of rolling grassland, dry brush and scattered trees near Fort Huachuca.

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Emergency declared as wildfires roar through Alberta

BY ELISE STOLTE AND FLORENCE LOYIE, CANWEST NEWS SERVICEMAY 4, 2009

 

 

Pictures of a grass fire out of control north of the city by Bruderheim/Fort Saskatchewan, Sunday May 3. Firefighters continued to struggle to contain the fire on Monday.

Photograph by: Brian J. Gavriloff , Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON — Fire crews were fighting to save several homes threatened by bush fires in central Alberta on Monday.

 

A state of emergency was declared for Lamont County, about 60 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, late Monday afternoon, as winds stoked a brush fire that had temporarily been under control.

 

Threatened residents were being encouraged to seek shelter at a community recreational centre, or another such facility in nearby Josephburg, Alta.

 

Sixteen homes in Strathcona County, just east of Edmonton, were evacuated, said Garnet Munro, captain of fire prevention and investigations for Strathcona County’s fire department.

 

“This fire is not under control at this time,” said Ken Jones, deputy fire chief of Strathcona County Emergency Services.

 

The fire had grown from about 280 hectares of land Monday morning, to about 350 hectares of land in the afternoon.

 

The fire was centred on an area just west of Range Road 211, between township roads 562 and 564, and was burning right near secondary highway 830.

 

“We’re trying to prevent the fire from crossing the highway and threatening another home,” said Jones.

 

Lamont Reeve Wayne Woldanski said he didn’t expect the state of emergency to last more than a day or two.

 

“If the fire continues to travel east, it will eventually come up against Highway 45, and then it gets into a lot of farmland. There are a number of farmers in the area who have (built) their farm lands up for fire guards in that area, so we are not anticipating it to be for a long time,” he said.

 

“We have requested a couple of (bulldozers) from private contractors to be brought in and assist in building fire guards. (The province) has provided a couple of water bombers and they were supposed to bring in a couple of helicopters. We also have some local water trucks that are bringing water to the scene,” Woldanski said.

 

Gary Muzechka’s cedar log home was evacuated earlier in the day, but the 56-year-old returned later to make sure it was still standing.

 

“The smoke was coming this way earlier so the fire department told us it was best to leave,” he said.

 

Muzechka grabbed some pictures and a welding rig that would explode if it caught fire. He said he was staying with family in Fort Saskatchewan, near Edmonton.

 

Meanwhile, fires in Hobbema, about 90 kilometres south of Edmonton, stayed under control throughout the day Monday, Montana Chief Carolyn Buffalo said.

 

There were concerns the strong wind would re-ignite smouldering embers.

 

Fires there claimed three homes on the Hobbema-area Samson and Louis Bull reserves and in nearby Pigeon Lake, but there were “no reports of any injuries,” she said. “We’re still monitoring the situation.”

 

There were more than 30 fires burning in forest protection areas, which cover about 60 per cent of the province, said Anastasia Drummond, a wildfire information officer with Alberta Sustainable Resources. Only one is out of control, about 100 kilometres northeast of Whitecourt, which is roughly 170 kilometres northwest of Edmonton — it was not threatening any communities.

 

Wildfires are a threat because the snow has melted, but grass and trees haven’t yet greened up, she said. “The winds this weekend were a particular challenge. We still have a couple weeks of this yet.”

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Wildfire smoke lingers over Alligator Alley

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Alligator Alley has been reopened, though smoke from a massive brush fire in the Everglades lingers over the highway.

Interstate 75 is open in both directions on the stretch of highway from Collier County to Broward County.

Florida Highway Patrol urges motorists to drive cautiously because of low visibility caused by the brush fire in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Multiple accidents were reported on Alligator Alley early Saturday.

State Road 29 also is open in both directions.

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Wildfire risk high in South, West

By Doyle Rice and Emily Bazar, USA TODAY

Wildfire experts are predicting a fierce summer fire season, particularly in drought-stricken areas of the South and West.

At highest risk are parts of Florida, Texas, California and Washington, says the National Interagency Fire Center, which released its annual forecast Thursday.

“We are preparing for what could be a very busy fire season,” says Rick Ochoa, the center’s fire weather program manager.

The season is off to a scorching start. Nearly 32,000 wildfires have been reported since Jan. 1, charring 1.1 million acres. The average for that period is about 28,000 fires burning 822,000 acres.

Drought is one of the best predictors of wildfires. The U.S. Drought Monitor, made up of several federal agencies, said Thursday that the worst drought conditions are in three of the four most populous states: Texas, Florida, and California, where nearly 80 million people live.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | Washington |California | Florida | Texas | Arizona | New Mexico | Myrtle Beach | Fire | United States Forest Service

“We have a very extreme drought in the central and southern part of Florida,” says Ronda Sutphen, fire prevention coordinator for the state Division of Forestry. “As the vegetation dries out, it is just like pouring gas on a fire.”

There have been 1,847 fires on state and private land in Florida this year, torching 51,910 acres, she says.

In the same period last year, 978 fires blackened 17,661 acres.

Dry weather has also parched parts of the Southwest, leading to a fiery spring in parts of New Mexico and Arizona, Ochoa says.

Central Texas experienced one of the driest winters on record, says Tom Spencer, the state’s fire risk assessment coordinator.

Fires have burned at least 476,000 acres throughout the state since Jan. 22, and led to three deaths, according to the Texas Forest Service.

The agency is requesting an additional $7 million from the state Legislature to hire firefighters and buy equipment.

In California, Ochoa anticipates above-normal fire potential across most of the north and portions of the central coast and south.

“This is the third year of significant drought in California, which is certainly taking its toll,” he says.

 

 

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Alaska Division of Forestry issues first wildfire alert of the season

Staff Report

Published Friday, May 1, 2009

FAIRBANKS — In addition to flooding because of ice jams in the Tanana River, the record-high temperatures this week also produced the season’s first wildfire alert.

On Thursday, the state Division of Forestry suspended all burning because of warm, dry conditions and officials cautioned residents to be careful now that the ground is snow-free.

“The ground basically freeze dries in the wintertime, and it burns quite readily as soon as the snow’s gone,” Fairbanks fire management officer Robert Schmoll said. “The fire danger stays high until we get some precipitation or things start greening up with new vegetation.”

The high temperature at Fairbanks International Airport hit a record 76 degrees on Thursday, breaking the record of 74 degrees set on that date in 1960. The 76-degree mark also was the highest temperature ever recorded in Fairbanks during April.

The high temperature on Wednesday was 74, breaking the record of 69 set in 2005.

Combined with humidities in the low teens, the warm temperatures have melted most of the snow and dried out the vegetation that has emerged.

“With the snow gone, people are going to want to burn,” Schmoll said. “We urge everybody to be very cautious and to follow specifications on their burn permits.”

A burn permit is required for any outside burning in the borough and permit holders must call the Division of Forestry each day before they burn.

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Crews Battle Wildfires in the Shawnee State Forest; Arson Arrest

UPDATE 4/27 1:00pm

West Portsmouth, Ohio (WSAZ) –State foresters report that the wildfire located in the Mackletree Road area of Shawnee State Forest is now estimated at 1,500 acres in size.

“Our fire fighters face tough conditions today with low humidity levels, gusting wind conditions, and temperatures expected near 90 degrees,” said Mike Bowden, fire program administrator for the ODNR Division of Forestry. “An additional complicating factor is the number of standing dead trees which are holding flame embers and leading to additional fire ignitions.”

At 7:30 a.m. four working divisions of wildfire fighters assisted by seven bulldozers, three fire engines departed the state forest headquarters to relieve crews that worked overnight establishing fire lines.

A state forest crew made progress working through the early morning to punch in a critical fire line in the Mackletree Road area.

“We appreciate support provided by the Division of Wildlife with the use of their helicopter to begin water dropping operations,” said Bowden. “This Bell 206B3 Jet Ranger helicopter is capable of delivering up to 100 gallons of water directly on critical fire control spots.”

In addition to support provided by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ mobile command center arrived on Sunday afternoon to help improve radio communications between state foresters and local volunteer fire departments. department chiefs.

UPDATE 4/26 11:15pm
SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) — The Ohio Division of Forestry along with Volunteer Firefighters are working to contain a blaze in the Shawnee State Forest in Scioto County.

The Ohio Division of Natural Resources, (ODNR) estimates that the fire is now approximately 1,200 acres in size.

The wildfires are near Mackletree Road off of State Route 125.

Forest Officials believe those three fires were intentionally set.

Shawnee State Forest Officers arrested Michael Thompson, a Niles Township Volunteer Firefighter.

Thompson is charged with felony arson.

Investigators say Thompson is a suspect in those wildfires, but the charges are involve an unrelated incident.

Officers found accelerates in Thompson’s car, and their investigation is ongoing.

As of Sunday night three fires were burning, all within the same area of the forest.

Sunday night ODNR Officials flew over the fires, their assessment showed that the fire has combined from the Mackletree area south toward East Fork Creek.

In a news release, Mike Bowden, the ONDR Division of Forestry Fire Program Administrator said, “Our records indicate that the combination and spread of the two large wildfires near Mackletree Road make this wildfire the most significant one that the Ohio Division of Forestry has fought in the past two decades.”

Volunteer Firefighters are stationed on Mackletree Road to prevent the fire from endangering any homes or structures.

Crews are staying in the forest through the night to keep an eye on the fire, and try to suppress what they can while there is less wind and more humidity in the air.

Monday they plan to use a helicopter to drop water on the fire, if conditions allow.

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Wildfire chars 19,000 acres in southern NM

DUNKEN, N.M. (AP) – A lightning-sparked fire in southern Chaves County charred an estimated 19,000 acres and threatened several structures and a power distribution line Friday. Fire officials said the flames threatened one residence and seven outbuildings, but no evacuations were in effect. State Forestry spokesman Dan Ware said the 4 Mile Fire made a significant run to the northeast thanks to strong winds, but crews were trying to keep the flames south of U.S. 82. About 90 firefighters, 10 engines and two air tankers were assigned to the fire. The air tankers dropped retardant on the fire through the afternoon. The blaze was 20 percent contained by the evening. The fire, which was first spotted Thursday, burned through pinon, juniper and grassland.

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Wildfires may keep Alligator Alley shut down through weekend

A growing wildfire in the Everglades has authorities warning that Alligator Alley, closed since Wednesday evening, could remain shut down until Monday.

Heavy smoke fills the sky Thursday at the 77 mile marker on Alligator Alley. The highway will remain closed through at least Friday, officials say. 

LOU TOMAN / SUN SENTINEL

BY DAVID SMILEY

DSMILEY@MIAMIHERALD.COM

A wildfire fueled for days by 10,000 acres of dangerously dry Everglades vegetation may force authorities to keep Alligator Alley closed for the weekend, creating headaches for travelers.

The Florida Highway Patrol has kept the highway closed since about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, when smoke from the fire began billowing over the roadway in spots of Collier County and Big Cypress National Preserve.

Officials hoped to open the 78-mile stretch of Interstate 75 on Friday, but with no rain expected and firefighters stretched to the limit, authorities say it is probable that the road will remain closed all of Saturday and possibly Sunday.

”We’re doing this for public safety,” Big Cypress spokesman Bob DeGross said. “I know it’s an inconvenience, but we’re being cautious.”

The highway has already been shut down for more than 48 hours because of the blaze, longer than the 46 cumulative hours the highway has been closed since 2003 due to wildfires, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

For many, the closure has been only an annoyance, forcing drivers to take one or two-hour detours on U.S. 41 or State Road 80 to make the trek from Sunrise to Naples.

And for those who rely on the highway for business and income, a weekend closure is troubling, as well.

`TIME IS MONEY’

”If they keep it closed all weekend, there will be a financial impact because we have to take alternate routes, spending more money on fuel to get to the East Coast and longer hours,” said Boris Espinosa, a dispatcher with B&G Carriers, a produce shipping company based in Naples. “Time is money.”

Businesses at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation have felt a hit, with few customers making the long detour to get to the reservation.

”We are down significantly,” said Cindy Malin, a spokeswoman for Billie Swamp Safari. “Mother Nature is in charge right now.”

And as Alligator Alley remains closed, money that would normally flood into the Florida Department of Transportation via tolls at either end of the highway has run dry.

More than $85,000 was lost between Wednesday evening and noon Friday, FDOT spokesman Chad Huff said.

Should the highway remain closed on Saturday and Sunday, the agency could stand to lose another $60,000 or so, he said.

Despite a strong easterly wind blowing over the fire and reducing smoke during the day, weather forecasts predict little relief.

Strassberg said South Florida has been abnormally dry during the past 16 months, particularly in Collier County.

”There is no chance of rain across the interior where the fire is,” said meteorologist Gordon Strassberg.

Strassberg said winds blowing from the east Friday and Saturday should disperse the smoke some, but likely not enough to make driving safe, given the location of the blaze — near State Road 29 toward the middle of Alligator Alley.

”It’s in a really bad spot,” he said. “It’s close enough to the roadway where there will at least be some effects no matter how strong the winds are during the day, and at night, the winds will likely calm and smoke will tend to settle near the ground. There could also be some patchy fog mixed in.”

He said rainfall at Immokalee, the location closest to Big Cypress where the National Weather Service measures precipitation levels, has been more than nine inches below average since October.

Strassberg said the fire is believed to have been sparked by lightning, meaning the blaze began smoldering during a thunderstorm.

DeGross, the Big Cypress spokesman, said about 100 firefighters from several state agencies have been battling spot fires to keep the blaze east of State Road 29.

HEALTH OF THE PARK

The park’s dry conditions have officials concerned that other fires could spark elsewhere in the 720,000-acre preserve, where most of the blaze has burned.

However, he said the fire has not damaged the park.

”It’s actually a benefit to the ecology of the forest,” he said. “Fires tend to remove heavy and old vegetation in areas for new vegetation to grow.”

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Progress made, but ‘this fire is not done’

BY TONY BARTELME (CONTACT), WARREN WISE (CONTACT)

The Post and Courier

Saturday, April 25, 2009

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH — A ferocious wildfire that has scorched nearly 20,000 acres and caused at least $16 million in damage here began in the backyard of a home eight miles inland — and a world away from the resort homes hit hardest by the flames.

The yard belongs to Mark Torchi and Megan Brogan, and Friday afternoon, with the woods still smoldering around her home, Brogan told The Post and Courier that people shouldn’t blame them for what happened.

The roots of this week’s wildfire — the worst South Carolina has seen in three decades, destroying 69 homes — actually began last Saturday, she and fire officials said. Brogan said her husband built a trash fire behind their home that day.

“Yes, the only thing we did wrong was that we didn’t get a burn permit, but that happens all the time in the country.” When the fire accidentally got into the woods, she said she immediately called 911. “We called 911 and they were supposed to put out the fire. That’s what we pay our taxes for.”

Firefighters with Horry County Fire and Rescue responded quickly, but she felt they could have done more to prevent the fire from reigniting. “I totally blame the Horry County Fire Department because they could have soaked up the whole woods around here,” she said, pointing to a hydrant in front of her home. “But they never used that hydrant.”

Horry County firefighters who responded last Saturday to Woodlawn Drive thought they had put out the fire until it flared up with high winds and dry conditions Wednesday.

“Nothing was happening that anybody noticed. We responded on Wednesday with the firefighters when we learned it was spreading,” said Russell Hubright of the state Forestry Commission, who is based in Columbia. “In fairness to these guys (Horry County firefighters), they put out hundreds of these fires every year. Why this one rekindled is a little bit of a mystery.”

On Wednesday, high winds hit the area, and the fire behind her house quickly spread to the woods and the rest of her neighborhood, a mix of mobile homes and modest vinyl-sided houses.

Fire spreads

From her backyard, the fire traveled more than 10 miles in two days, consuming 31 square miles of forest and subdivisions, an area roughly three times the size of the Charleston peninsula. The fire traveled as far east as Barefoot Resort and Grande Dunes golf club, which at one point used sprinklers to prevent the links from going up in smoke, officials said.

Paul Whitman, Horry County’s Director of Public Safety, said low winds and a temperature inversion early Friday morning helped keep the fire tamped down, though at times visibility from the heavy smoke made it impossible to see your hand in front of your face. Despite the scale and intensity of the fire, no serious injuries or fatalities had been reported.

Whitman said emergency crews used NASA satellite images to pinpoint hotspots and help them decide where to dispatch crews and helicopters. More than 450 firefighters from 33 agencies across South Carolina and North Carolina, including crews from North Charleston, Charleston, Isle of Palms and Summerville, were on the scene Friday. More than 30 volunteers helped evacuate several dozen horses and other animals.

Whitman said he was worried that coastal winds and higher temperatures would push the fire from the Lewis Bay Ocean Heritage Preserve, an unpopulated area on the outskirts of North Myrtle Beach, to the Poplar and Wampee communities, where several thousand people live. “This fire is not done,” he said. “We have several days to go.”

But Friday afternoon, as ash drifted into North Carolina, officials were becoming more optimistic about getting the fire under control.

‘Tornado and a fire’

Officials said late Friday that firefighters had the wildfire had been 80 percent contained after ridding the area of underbrush that serves as fuel.

Breezes were keeping the fire inland, still away from the main tourist areas.

Crews continued to plow firebreaks into critical areas and burn underbrush and trees ahead of the blaze to rob its fuel. They hoped the winds would stay calm into this morning, said state Forestry Commission spokeswoman Holly Welch.

Still, winds were expected to increase after sunrise and the fire remained dangerous.

“If just one ember gets out in front of a firebreak, this thingcould flare back up quickly,” Welch said.

Pete Rogers of Awendaw, a public information officer for the Lowcountry Incident Management Team, said his crew was told it could go back home to Charleston. “If you are going home, that means there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Gov. Mark Sanford flew over fire area Friday and then visited the North Myrtle Beach neighborhood where dozens of homes were destroyed. Later, at a press briefing in Conway, he said half of the wildfire was under control, but that “the storm is not over.” He said the blaze had caused $16 million in damage and that he expected that number to rise.

“It was like a tornado and a fire,” he said of the damage in Barefoot Resort, a subdivision along the Intracoastal Waterway that was hit hard. “This is cataclysmic damage to individual homes but not on a scale of a hurricane.”

Sanford added that people should focus now on fighting the fire instead of finding someone to blame. He says once the flames are out, he will ask for a review of everything that happened.

Did what they could

The neighborhood where the fire began is off S.C. Highway 90, a country road that leads out of Conway toward the swamps of the Waccamaw River.

Friday afternoon, white smoke still drifted from nearby stumps as Brogan, 29, said she was furious that people are blaming her family for the disaster.

When the trash fire got out of control last Saturday in her backyard, she immediately called 911. “What else are we supposed to do?”

Torchi, 39, said late Friday he fears for his family because people are upset about the damage. Brogan said the family has received death threats.

Several neighbors said that it was wrong to blame Torchi and Brogan for the fire.

Al Whittaker said firefighters spent several hours putting out the fire last Saturday after Torchi’s yard debris fire started to spread into the brush by his home.

“They didn’t come in with a bulldozer or anything,” Whittaker said. “Sunday, Monday and Tuesday goes by. How come nobody comes by and checks? … How is this thing coming back on him five days later? It’s one of the more twisted, insensible things I’ve heard.”

Forestry Commission Forest Protection Chief Darryl Jones said it’s common for brush fires to appear to be out but then smolder underground and rekindle. But he said blame belongs to the person who set it. “The Fire Department didn’t start the fire,” Jones said. “Someone lit it and somebody let it escape and that’s where this all started.”

The Forestry Commission ticketed Torchi for last Saturday’s fire, not the one that reignited Wednesday. He was cited for failing to notify the commission of an outdoor burn, which carries a fine up to $262.50, as well as for allowing the fire to spread, which carries a fine up to $470. Hubright said no additional tickets will be issued.

Brogan said when the fire reignited Wednesday, it built quickly. She said Horry County firefighters watched as the flames headed toward nearby homes. “The only reason my house didn’t burn down is that my neighbors and I got a garden hose and put water on the house.”

Horry County Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Alderman said firefighters often let woods fires burn close to the house and let the flames consume fuel before they attack it in force. Sometimes the flames are so powerful, however, that firefighters have to practice a form of triage, letting some houses go that can’t be saved. “It’s often a split-second decision,” he said. “For every house that was destroyed, we saved six others.”

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Brush fire shuts down I-75, SR-29

COLLIER COUNTY: Smoke from a 4,300 acre brush fire has shut down Alligator Alley between mile marker 101 to US-27.

Officials say the fire is burning in the Bear Island Unit of the Big Cypress National Preserve, stretching from mile marker 77-80 on the Alley.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the fire has jumped containment in the area between MM 77 and 78, and is spreading from SR-29 back toward the interstate.

FHP says they think the fire may move west and jump SR-29. That highway is closed from US-41 to Oil Well Road in both directions.

Fire crews are backburning an area near the eastbound lanes of the interstate and fight the fire north of I-75 and east of SR-29.

Bob DeGross, of the Preserve, says no injuries or evacuations have been reported because of the blaze, which started Tuesday after a lightning strike.

All campground facilities within the Bear Island Unit are closed unti further notice.

 

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SC wildfire destroys homes near popular beach area

By BRUCE SMITH – 7 hours ago

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — A coastal wildfire spread early Thursday toward one of the busiest tourist stretches in South Carolina after destroying more than three dozen homes.

No injuries had been reported in the fire that started Wednesday afternoon west of Myrtle Beach, but officials said gusty winds were making the situation worse.

The fire jumped a state highway near North Myrtle Beach and destroyed about 40 homes early Thursday, said Scott Hawkins, a spokesman for the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

In North Myrtle Beach near the North Carolina state line, officials began evacuating about 2,500 people in a four-mile stretch west of Highway 17, city spokesman Nicole Aiello said.

Shelters were set up at North Myrtle Beach City Hall and the House of Blues at Barefoot Landing, she said.

The blaze jumped the busy six-lane Coastal Bays Parkway on Wednesday, stopping not far from the Intracoastal Waterway. Firefighters were expecting the waterway to act as a natural firebreak, protecting the larger city of Myrtle Beach.

A gray-white smoke had engulfed restaurant row between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach on Wednesday evening. It looked like a winter fog, with car headlights and neon signs peeking through the haze.

Tourists watched the smoke move over the tree line at the Cane Patch driving range, where one of the holes on the par-3 course was on fire Wednesday night, said cashier John Paulhus.

“We can see the smoke clearly from here,” he said. “A lot of them have come in and inquired about it. I think it’s more curiosity than anything else.”

A cause has not been determined for the fire that began around noon in woods about six miles east of Conway, Horry County Fire Rescue spokesman Todd Cartner said.

The fire had spread into several Carolina Bays, geographic structures full of organic material that fuel the blaze. Tropical downpours are often needed to extinguish the burning peat, Hawkins said.

“When a bay starts burning, they burn for a long, long time,” Hawkins said.

Jo Hillman, 52, joined her husband, Chuck, and 13 other people at a shelter set up at the Tilly Swamp Baptist Church about midway between Conway and North Myrtle Beach.

As a prayer meeting went on inside, the couple recalled the tense moments as the fire started spreading.

“First they said ‘You’ve got 15 minutes.’ Then they said ‘Get out now,’” Jo Hillman said.

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Crews fight wildfire near Sonoita
April 21, 2009 10:55 PM

April 21, 2009 10:55 PM

By Christopher Francis - email

A new wildfire is burning in Southern Arizona.  The Fish Fire has scorched 800-900 acres near Fish Canyon on the eastern flank of the Santa Rita Mountains northwest of Sonoita.

Nothing is threatened at this time.  But about 50 firefighters were working the fire Tuesday night, with assistance from one air tanker.  Grass and wind have been factors in the fire.

The fire is believed to be human caused.

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King Ranch Fights Large Wildfire
April 20, 2009 08:51 PM

CORPUS CHRISTI – There have been a lot of calls to 911 Monday concerning a large column of smoke south of town.

Crews on the King Ranch are fighting a large wildfire that started around 2 p.m. Monday afternoon.

The fire is on private property, so there’s no information available on how the fire started or what exactly has been burned.

The Corpus Christi Fire Department is monitoring the fire and at this time it poses no threat to any homes. City officials do say that shifting winds could blow smoke over portions of the Southside.

People with breathing problems may want to stay indoors.

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Wildfire burn survivor recounts horror

 

01:15 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 21, 2009

 

By JASON WHITELY / WFAA-TVDALLAS – On the sixth floor of Parkland Hospital, Chris Quinn’s burns are bandaged but his mind is clear about what he survived eleven days ago.

“I just started running,” Quinn, 42, recollected. “I screamed in pain and said, ‘My God, I’m being burned alive.’”

On April 9, wildfires swept fast and ferocious across Montague County. Quinn lived there and cared for his mom Cathy and his dad Matt, a former WFAA news reporter in the 1980s.

At least twice before in recent years, Quinn said, he and his parents evacuated from wildfires. But, this time was different.

“We were planning on getting in the car and going,” he said. “I had my cat with me. So, I get out and start running towards the car. In like a second the flame is there.”

Flames moved faster than the Quinns expected. The blaze trapped his parents and offered Quinn only a moment to escape.

His arms were seared from shielding his face. From his ankles to his head, Quinn is recovering from second and third degree burns.

“The pain doesn’t really start kicking in until you start moving things around and touching things,” he said.

Quinn said doctors will remove his bandages on Tuesday to see how the skin grafts took to his body. He expects to have to go to a rehabilitation unit after leaving Parkland. But, his family said without insurance, it’s likely to get expensive fast.

Quinn praised heroic firefighters who never gave up despite being terribly outmanned.

He said he is also grateful for the family who rescued him as he ran from the flames. Confined to the burn unit, Quinn said he draws from his spiritual side now more than ever.

A fund has been set up to help pay Chris Quinn’s medical bills. Those who wish to donate can make a deposit in the name of Chris Quinn under the Wells Fargo account number 7809963981.

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Wildfire Sparks North of Blythe

KESQ.com News Services

BLYTHE - A fire that broke out Monday along a canal near Blythe scorched about six acres before being contained.

“It burned in a flat area in some heavy brush, and into an alfalfa field,” said Riverside County Fire Capt. Aaron Martinez.

The blaze was reported in the vicinity of U.S. Highway 95, 10 miles north of Blythe, just before 2 p.m., according to fire officials.

By 4:10 p.m., about 2 1/2 acres had burned and firefighters feared the blaze could burn more than 100 acres of brush between the highway and the Colorado River, but Martinez said crews were able to surround the fire and cut off its fuel.

Ten engine crews with about 33 firefighters battled the blaze, Martinez said.

No structures were damaged in the flames.

Crews would be mopping up until 8:30 p.m., Martinez said.

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BREAKING NEWS: Wildfire Erupts in Lockwood Valley

CHP officers stopped traffic on Lockwood Valley Road as a wildfire moved northwest into a stand of pine trees. Numerous community reporters called to report the fire. [Above, Gary Meyer photo; below, Linda Curtis photo] See more photos in The Mountain Enterprise April 24 issue.     UPDATE (5:35 p.m.)—Mt. Pinos District Forest Ranger Tom Kuekes reports that the fire’s spread has been stopped and the fire is 50% contained within a burn area of 20 acres. “Crews are making good progress,” he said. “A spot fire about a quarter mile to the south was cooled down with water drops and crews were able to take care of that.” FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 3:45 p.m.)—A wildfire broke out in Lockwood Valley just before 12:30 p.m., about a half mile west of Chuchupate ranger station. Kern County Fire Department responded and, upon arrival the first crew quickly evaluated the fire and immediately ordered a 2nd alarm. The crew then began making an attack on the fire. As additional resources arrived, the fire was divided into areas and the additional resources attacked the head and flanks of the fire. Approximately 20 to 30 acres have burned, according to Mt. Pinos District Forest Ranger Tom Kuekes. “So far, the fire has laid down pretty good. We have two dozers on-scene that will work to get some line built. Two air tankers are on the way and two helicopters—one from Ventura County and one from Santa Barbara—are now providing water drops,” Kuekes said. No injuries have been reported. No estimate was available on containment. CHP began escorting groups of motorists on Lockwood Valley Road, past the fire area, at approximately 2:30 p.m. U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Battalion Chief John Abell took over as Incident Commander during the afternoon. Assisting agencies included Kern County Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, USFS personnel from Angeles National Forest, California Highway Patrol and Kern County Sheriff’s Department. The Mountain Enterprise spoke with Bob Stowell who, while driving westbound on Lockwood Valley Road before 12:30 p.m., observed smoke and flames south of the highway. Stowell had to drive further to the west in order to get a cell phone signal where he reported the fire at 12:31 p.m. While parked he says he observed someone walking near the fire area, and then observed a late model beige Ford F-250 truck leaving the fire area and driving east on Lockwood Valley Road toward Lake of the Woods.   Stowell says he drove into the area where the truck had emerged, to see whether anyone else was in the area. He saw a tent, an ice chest with a lot of beer cans and litter strewn around the makeshift campsite.

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BLM: Human-caused wildfire in wildlife area southwest of Goodyear has charred about 200 acres

 

Associated Press – April 18, 2009 8:54 PM ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) – Authorities say a human-caused wildfire has charred an estimated 200 acres in a wildlife area about 25 miles southwest of Goodyear.

The state Bureau of Land Management says the fire was reported about noon today and is burning through salt cedar in the riverbed, which is producing lots of black smoke.

However, authorities say no structures are threatened.

Two fire engines and one helicopter crew are on scene and more fire engines are on the way to battle the wildfire.

The BLM says there is no estimate yet for containment.

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Wildfire burns 20 acres in Lockwood Valley

By From staff reports 
Originally published 08:56 p.m., April 18, 2009
Updated 08:56 p.m., April 18, 2009

A wildfire in the remote Lockwood Valley in northern Ventura County burned about 20 acres today and forced the evacuation of several people from one property, the Sheriff’s Department reported.

The fire, reported about 2 p.m. west of Frazier Park, was being investigated as possible arson, said dispatcher Jennifer Hollowell in the Sheriff’s Department’s Lockwood Valley office.

The fire was contained this evening after crews conducted water drops.

Firefighters evacuated a property that had several people and a couple of residences, but no injuries or damage were reported.

Units from as far as away as San Luis Obispo County responded to the blaze.

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Update: Woman escapes as wildfire consumes Kent County home

SAND LAKE, Mich. (WZZM) – A wildfire near 19 Mile Road and Shaner destroyed one home this afternoon on Wildwood Court.

 

The fire is now under control but crews remain on the scene dousing hot spots.

 

Lt. Dan Richards of the Sand Lake FireDepartment tells WZZM 13 that someone was burning brush nearby and it spread to the home. Richards says at least 100 firefighters were on the scene fighting the fire.

 

Cedar Springs Fire Department reports that due to the scattered locations of local fire fighters, initially it was difficult to get the crew together at the scene.

 

Jean St. Charles was inside the home when the fire started, “I woke up to the alarms going off and the smoke was billowing everywhere.” St. Charles says she grabbed the dog and got out of the home as soon as she could.

Homeowner Nancy Hazen rushed to the scene as soon as she heard about the fire. “Everything is gone, everything,” said Hazen. “I’m heart broken. I’m heart sick.”

The Hazen family has lived on Wildwood Court for 15 years.

WZZM 13 Meteorologist Joe Kopecek says despite Tuesday’s rain, conditions remain very dry outside. He says there is no rain in the immediate forecast.

Fire Departments across the area say the dry brush is creating dangerous conditions and they are urging people not to burn their yard waste.

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Wildfire risk high in West Michigan

CALEDONIA, Mich. (WZZM) – It’s wildfire season in Michigan; a time when it doesn’t take much to start a fire that can blacken acres of land.

“It’s been a busy season,” says Caledonia Fire Chief Brian Bennett. “It seems like we are busier this year than we have been in the past.” 

A fire in the 9000 block of 92nd Street in Caledonia scorched about 10 acres and destroyed a storage shed Sunday afternoon. 

Resident Steve Hendricks says he was burning a piece of cardboard in a barrel when the wind blew a piece onto dry grass nearby. 

In seconds, it was a wild fire. 

“About 10 or 15 seconds and it was gone,” says Hendricks. “I had a blanket over there and I smothered it for a minute and then I picked it up and it went ‘poof.’” 

“By the time he could get to the house and get back, the fire was already one-hundered yards ahead of him,” explains Chief Bennett. 

Typically the wildfire season in Michigan runs from mid April through Memorial Day. 

Chief Bennett says people should pay close attention to conditions and weigh the risk before lighting a fire. 

“It’s been a long winter and everybody is itching to get outside and do some yard work so you don’t blame people for wanting to do it,” he says. “But if you are outside and it’s windy, resist that need to burn and do it on another day.” 

The Department of Natural Resources has the authority to ban burning and stop the distribution of permits if administrators think the fire risk is dangerously high. 

So far that hasn’t happened.

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Wildfire burns 25 acres in coastal NC county

The Associated Press

Posted: Monday, Apr. 13, 2009

WILMINGTON, N.C. Authorities say a 25-acre wildfire in coastal North Carolina has been contained and that no homes were threatened.

The Star-News of Wilmington reported that the fire burned in Brunswick County between Southport and Supply on Sunday afternoon.

State forest ranger Phillip Inman said the fire was contained in a few hours by about two dozen firefighters who knocked down the flames with water sprayed from trucks at each end of the burn zone.

A bulldozer dug lines around the fire and an airplane kept tabs on the area that was burning.

Inman said windy spring weather makes brush fires a risk despite recent rains. He said lightning may have sparked the fire.

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Be sure to click through for images and video.

Rain hope for US wildfire states

Heavy rain this weekend could bring relief to parts of the southern US hit by wildfires, forecasters say.

The blazes have killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Texas and Oklahoma since they ignited on Thursday.

They were fanned by high winds, part of a storm system that has also triggered deadly tornadoes in Tennessee and Arkansas.

At least five people died and about 70 were hurt in two separate tornadoes.

A mother and child were killed when one touched down in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Friday.

Officials said it damaged more than 200 homes, and search teams were checking for people trapped under rubble.

Three more people died in Mena, Arkansas, in a tornado late on Thursday.

Other tornadoes and high winds were reported across several states.

State of emergency

The winds have been blamed for driving wildfires that have been burning in Texas and Oklahoma since the middle of the week.

In Texas, a couple were killed and their son injured when their home was engulfed by flame near Montague, north-west of Dallas.

A woman died in another part of the state, officials said, and scores of homes in the Texan towns of Sunset and Stoneburg were charred.

Neighbouring Oklahoma declared a state of emergency in more than 30 counties after fires destroyed more than 160 homes.

A marshal in Midwest City said at least one fire was thought to have been started deliberately.

Forecasters in both states said rain was expected late on Saturday into Sunday, potentially helping to control the raging fires.

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Wildfire season under way, Michigan officials say

Associated Press

8:23 PM CDT, April 11, 2009

BAY CITY, Mich. – Wildfire season has arrived in Michigan, and authorities say the fires will quickly erase memories of an unusually wet Michigan winter. 

Forest managers say Michigan’s highest wildfire risk is from mid-April through Memorial Day, a period that precedes spring greening of fields, forests and forest floors. The pre-greening grasses, twigs and leaves are called “one-hour fuels” because they can dry within an hour of rainfall. The risk can increase in sunshine or if winds pick up. 

Specialists tell The Bay City Times that the greatest threat lies in stands of pine trees, where new needle growth draws moisture from existing needles. That creates a tinder box effect requiring only a spark to turn the trees into torches. 

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Wildfires kill 3, scorch more than 100,000 acres

By SCHUYLER DIXON Associated Press Writer © 2009 The Associated Press

STONEBURG, Texas — His house surrounded by a raging wildfire scattering embers everywhere, Fred Blackwell finally had to give up the fight and evacuate.

The 40-year-old oil field worker hoped he would find his house intact when he returned, but he knew better.

Sure enough, Blackwell’s 1920s-era brick home was among dozens destroyed by wildfires that killed at least three people and scorched more than 100,000 acres of drought-parched Texas before high winds that fanned the flames eased Friday.

Blackwell and other residents of Stoneburg, a tiny town of 51 peopole in the tree-dotted grasslands of North Texas, were no match for the 60-70 mph winds that shifted and tore a blackened swath through the heart of town Thursday.

When Blackwell returned around sundown, what remained bore little semblance to the two-story brick structure that once was his home.

“That rock was glowing,” said Blackwell, standing amid twisted tin and mounds of ashes. “I knew everything else had been burned down because there was nothing else around it.”

Blackwell also lost a large workshop behind the house.

“It tore me up,” Blackwell said. “Like I said, I was hoping it missed. But I kinda had a feeling it didn’t. When I saw it, that’s a whole different thing there when you see it.”

Across the highway, a building that once housed a general store that had been a Stoneburg staple for decades was in ruins, just down a gravel road from an auto salvage yard with a long row of burned-out cars. A metal auto repair shop next door still stood, but the torched inside included a vintage jeep.

Parts of Stoneburg still smoldered Friday, including railroad ties under the tracks that disect the town. A few miles away, the remains of about a half dozen head of cattle were visible in a charred pasture.

Firefighters were still battling blazes in other parts of Montague County, about 55 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

Montague County Sheriff Paul Cunningham said one couple died when fire overtook their home near Montague and another woman died after calling for an ambulance as a fire spread through an unincorporated part of the county. Her cause of death was unclear.

“We’ve lost communities, pretty much,” Cunningham said. “Stoneburg is pretty much gone.”

Authorities identified the dead couple as former reporter Matt Quinn and his wife, Cathy. Matt Quinn quit ABC News after two years to join WFAA-TV of Dallas-Fort Worth in 1980 and retired in the early 1990s. Their son, Chris, was in fair condition with burns at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, the television station reported.

The National Weather Service said the fire danger remained high across North Texas on Friday due to dry conditions and wind gusts up to 25 mph, although the situation had eased considerably from Thursday.

“Things are starting to look a little better,” Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Misty Wilburn said. “Today the Texas Forest Service is definitely on the offense, not on the defense.”

Gov. Rick Perry on Friday asked FEMA to issue an emergency declaration that would provide federal assets and resources for 199 threatened counties.

The agency authorized funds for Stephens, Jack, Young, Wichita and Montague counties on Friday. The funding pays for 75 percent of eligible state and local government firefighting costs.

Not far from Stoneburg in Sunset, a town of about 350, buildings were destroyed Thursday in a seemingly random fashion. Some houses were blackened and burned to the ground, while others still stood and residents armed with garden hoses scrambled to save their homes. Fire Chief Alan Campbell said the high winds sent embers flying, resulting in the patchwork of fires.

Tim Gortney was out of town when the fire swept in, but his home was untouched thanks to neighbors who fought the blaze. His mother-in-law who lives next door wasn’t so lucky.

Linda Freeman, 64, was returning from her job at a nursing home Thursday night when she saw the thick smoke everywhere and was told she needed to evacuate. She hurriedly grabbed a few pictures, then went to her son’s house about 10 miles away where “he turned on the news and I saw my home burning.”

Friday, steel stairs that once led to her mobile home’s front door were all that remained. Next to the stairs, the blackened hulk was so thoroughly burned that it was difficult to identify any personal items.

“Everything she ever worked for is right there,” Gortney said, pointing to the rubble. “It took her 60-something years to get it and about 20 minutes to lose it.”

Campbell said nine homes were destroyed in Sunset.

Wilburn said some of the fires around the state had been contained by Friday, but she didn’t have precise figures.

While several fires were still burning, Wilburn identified four areas as the most dangerous: Montague County, one fire across Young and Jack counties, Wichita County and Stephens County.

The fire spanning Young and Jack counties, which had destroyed at least seven homes and 36 other structures, was burning 28,000 acres and about 30 percent contained Friday. Wilburn said more than 120 homes had been evacuated.

The Wichita County fire near Electra covered about 4,500 acres but 75 percent contained by Friday. It destroyed one agriculture company’s buildings and warehouses, Sheriff David Duke said. About 800 residents and a nursing home were evacuated, but they were allowed to return home by Thursday evening.

Fires also burned in Hamilton, Howard and Clay counties while new ones started in Shackelford, Bowie and Cass counties on Friday, according to the Texas Forest Service.

The agency said the Hamilton County fire burned 2,800 acres and was threatening 150 homes while the Clay County fire has burned 3,500 acres and destroyed 12 homes.

A near 16,000-acre blaze in Shackelford County has threatened the town of Albany, where nearly 2,000 residents live. Albany is about 150 miles west of Dallas.

Two fires burned together and destroyed 20,000 acres of land and three buildings in Archer County, about 130 northwest of Dallas. And a fire that torched 17,000 acres in Wheeler County, in the Panhandle near Oklahoma, was considered 100 percent contained, according to the Texas Forest Service.

Help fighting the blazes has come from across the state and includes 67 fire engines from various fire departments, 37 bulldozers to cut fire lines, and 21 aircraft, including two Texas Military Forces Blackhawk helicopters and contract aircraft, the governor’s office said.

Widespread rain and thunderstorms are expected to descend on the North Texas region hardest hit by the wildfires by late Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

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Deadly fires, tornadoes rage across US

CHICAGO (AFP) — Firefighters battled deadly wildfires while rescue workers dug through the rubble left by tornados after a strong storm system cut a swath of destruction from Texas to Tennessee.

At least eight people were killed, dozens were injured and hundreds of homes and businesses were reduced to ash or rubble.

One of the fires appears to have been deliberately set, officials said.

“We haven’t proved that there was malice but we do know that the fire was intentionally set,” Jerry Lojka of the Midwest City, Oklahoma fire department told reporters.

The Oklahoman newspaper reported that teenagers were spotted in the area before the fire which destroyed 17 homes was sparked Thursday.

Oklahoma’s governor declared a state of emergency in 31 counties where 62 people were injured and about 200 homes and business were destroyed by the fires and a tornado which touched down on the eastern edge of the state.

“Our firefighters and first responders have done an outstanding job in the face of daunting fires, and these brave men and women have our heartfelt gratitude. They are true heroes,” Governor Brad Henry said.

“But there is much more to do, and the State of Oklahoma will do everything in its power to ensure help for those people who need it most.”

Three people were killed and 32 homes destroyed in Texas as high winds fueled 49 major fires which burned 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) in the Lone Star state and filled the skies with thick clouds of smoke, the Texas Forest Service said.

Some 161 homes have been destroyed in drought-stricken Texas since January 1 as wildfires swallowed some 240,000 acres (97,000 hectares) and the governor of Texas issued an emergency declaration for 199 counties Friday.

A former television journalist and his wife were among the dead when their home was engulfed in flames Thursday, WFAA news in Dallas reported.

The fires devastated two small towns north of Dallas as high winds and bone dry conditions fueled the flames which raced across parched fields and swallowed homes, the station reported.

Winds as strong as 112 kilometers (70 miles) per hour fanned the flames that engulfed 12 counties in the northern part of the state, as the governor’s office activated Texas Military Forces to provide assistance, including two helicopters, in fighting the blazes, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

The winds eased in Texas on Friday, but firefighters continued to battle 20 major blazes.

A mother and her nine-week-old baby were killed and 35 people were hurt when a tornado tore through the town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee around 12:35 pm (1635 GMT) Friday, officials said.

“There was substantial damage,” said Murfreesboro police spokesman Kyle Evans as he described the twisted path the tornado wove through town.

“We are in a search and rescue mode. We’re going door to door, house to house looking for any potential people who are trapped in their homes.”

Three people were killed and 23 were hurt after a tornado touched down in the town of Mena on Thursday evening, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said.

The storms damaged more than 150 homes and businesses in 11 Arkansas counties.