Texas Wildfire: Gov. Greg Abbott Declares State of Disaster as Wildfire Poses Imminent Threat
The Texas wildfire continues to burn with one particular fire named Das Goat Fire, prompting Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster.
Abbott said that the wildfires pose an imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, according to an ABC News report.
The Republican governor said that 19 state agencies and over 200 firefighters were currently responding to the disaster.
Abbott said that the state of Texas continues to collaborate with local officials on the ground and respond to fire activity to keep Texans safe.
Many areas throughout Texas will remain under a high extreme elevated fire risk due to the high winds, dry heat, and drought conditions.
There is a shelter currently at Loma Alta Middle School with more shelters soon to be announced for those who may have been displaced or evacuated due to the fire.
READ NEXT: Texas Wildfire Destroys 50 Homes, Prompting Evacuation as Severe Fire Continues
Texas Wildfire
State and local fire officials are currently working on 12 active wildfires in Texas as the possibility of more wildfires this week may hinder suppression efforts.
The Texas Wildfire Incident Response System showed a dozen active fires in the state ranging from the Texarkana area and into the Rio Grande Valley, according to an NBC DFW News report.
The largest active fire is the Eastland Complex fire, which started burning more than a week ago. The fire has consumed more than 54,000 acres since that time. It is currently 90 percent contained.
The Crittenburg Complex fire near Fort Hood is the next largest fire on the list, with the wildfire burning more than 33,000 acres in Coryell County. It is contained 45 percent as of 3 p.m. on Monday.
Rich Gray, Texas A&M Forest Service Chief Regional Fire Coordinator, said that state, local, and federal firefighters have been extremely busy attending to the increased wildfire activity.
Fire resources are mobilized to areas of concern for quick response to any requests for assistance, according to Gray.
The National Weather Service said smoke from the Crittenburg Complex fire was pushing north into DFW.
The forest service cautioned that nine out of 10 wildfires in Texas are human-caused, urging the public to avoid outdoor activities that cause a spark while warm, dry, and windy conditions are observed.
Texas Wildfire Evacuation Orders
The town of Flat, Texas was subjected to evacuation orders earlier.
Kiley Moran, Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator with the Texas A&M Forest Service, said that additional evacuation orders were not expected, according to a Fox News report.
NASA said last week that the fires are being fueled by "favorable weather conditions" to spur more fires.
Last week, evacuation orders were released in parts of Hood, Erath, and Eastland counties.
Officials earlier said that two firefighters have been injured since Sunday in Hood County.
Hood County Sheriff's Department deputies knocked on every house to advise residents to leave Lipan.
One resident, Arnold Thedford, said that the sheriff just come up and said that there was a fire on the way.
Thedford said that he has got no place else to go, with his sister being up in Oklahoma.
READ MORE: Caldor Fire Moves Closer to Lake Tahoe as Blaze Continues to Spread in Northern Part of California
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: South Texas wildfire destroys 3 homes, Abbott declares disaster - from KXAN
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!