DALLAS — Firefighters worked Sunday morning to try to bring a wildfire in the Fort Davis area and others under control before winds were expected to pick up later in the day.
Jan Fulkerson, an information officer with Texas Forest Service, said the fire that moved through Fort Davis on Saturday was still listed at "zero percent containment" and firefighters were worried it would spread east as winds were expected to pick up from the west.
The forest service's Sunday morning update said winds were expected to reach nearly 40 mph, and the weather to remain hot and dry, adding to the fire danger.
Fulkerson said two air tankers were dropping retardant over the Fort Davis area fire, and three more were coming. Crews were working to protect buildings within the city, which was closed to everyone except residents and emergency workers. The city's water system was working, but residents were being asked to draw on it as little as possible, she said.
The fast-moving wildfire entered Fort Davis on Saturday evening, spreading from Presidio to Jeff Davis counties. Volunteer firefighter Jim Fowler called the blaze the worst he has seen in 13 years.
It burned more than 25,600 acres and destroyed up to 50 homes, the forest service's report said. The Fort Davis Estates subdivision and 20 people from another small community were evacuated Saturday. Fulkerson said some of those people were being allowed back in on Sunday.
Firefighters continued to fight a huge blaze scorching largely rural Stonewall, King and Knox counties. On Saturday, it was the largest wildfire in the nation, spanning up to 125 sq. miles, officials said. The fire has been burning since Wednesday, when it was sparked by pipe cutting, and has charred 71,000 acres so far.
The small communities of Benjamin and Guthrie were threatened by the fire, which has burned two unoccupied houses and killed livestock. About 100 members of the Texas Forest Service have been fighting the fire by land and air, along with local volunteer departments. On Saturday, air tankers dropped 60,000 gallons of retardant, and the forest service reported Sunday crews had been able to limit its spread north.
Mark Stanford, fire operations chief for the Texas Forest Service, said Sunday's outlook was gloomy. The forecast called for more hot, dry weather conditions, including humidity levels in the single digits, which dries out vegetation fueling wildfires, Stanford said. High winds can knock down power lines and ground firefighting aircraft.
The forest service responded to 16 fires covering more than 65,000 acres Saturday. Sunday morning, it reported firefighters still fighting nine big fires.
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