Texas Fires Making National News [VIDEO]

Wildfires are burning across our state and many of them have been right here near Abilene.  If you live in this area then you have stepped outside and smelled the burning brush, seen the haze over Abilene and your car is probably covered in a thin layer of ash. A homeless man in Austin has been arrested for starting a fire that burned 18 homes.Yesterday I was picking my car up from having new tires put on and a forest service ranger was getting air in his truck tires.  We asked about a new fire we could smell, he said they are actively fighting 50 fires in this area and there were probably another 40 they just couldn't get to.  It's incredible how dry the state is and how wide spread these fires are...they just spread so quickly.  We are making national news and the Governor has asked President Obama for emergency help.  We are a huge state and alot of it is just pasture land that is so dry it burns quickly and can't be stopped.  In fact so much land has burned that it's the size of some states.

Wildfires have spread across more than 700,000 acres — about the size of Rhode Island — in drought-stricken Texas. Those conditions endured Monday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42638827/ns/us_news-life/

Unfortunately, we've not just lost property in all of this but lives as well.

A preliminary autopsy report from the Tarrant County medical examiner in Fort Worth said Eastland volunteer firefighter Greg Simmons died of blunt force trauma, Senior DPS Trooper Phillip "Sparky" Dean told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Eastland officials initially said the 50-year-old firefighter died after being overcome by smoke and falling into a ditch.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42638827/ns/us_news-life/

Please exercise caution when outside.  Our prayers are with the firefighters battling these blazes across the state.

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