Dangerous West Texas Wildfires Balloon from 4 to 7 Blazes Within Days

Many of us here in East Texas have been keeping an eye on our neighbors out West as they continue to battle the West Texas wildfires that have been raging since last Thursday.

And then by Friday morning at 5:15 a.m., NBC News reported that "the Eastland Complex fire, a blaze that formed Thursday after a number of smaller fires converged, had burned through more than 39,800 acres of land in Eastland County, the Texas A&M Forest Service said in an update."

In addition to the Eastland Complex fire, wildfires began in the West Texas counties of Runnels, Reagan, and Sterling. Those fires were 75% contained by early Friday morning.

In a short period of time, there were four fires blazing as local authorities did their best to work toward keeping the fires contained. And now, that number has risen to seven.

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Just this past Sunday, three more fires joined the previous four that have been burning tens of thousands of acres and causing West Texans to evacuate and head for safer areas.

This Eastman complex of fires (including the Kidd fire, the Blowing Basin fire, the Cedar Mountain fire, the Oak Mott fire, the Wheat Field fire, the Mangum fire, and the Walling fire) has burned 54,000 acres overall, with the Kidd fire doing the most damage by far. Overall, as of this morning, the fires are 30 percent contained. If we just focus on the Kidd fire--it's 40% contained.

The Texas A&M Forest Service said in an update on Sunday that "the Kidd fire has destroyed 142 structures, according to the update."

Tragically, one life has been lost. Sgt. Barbara Finley of the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office "was evacuating residents in the town of Carbon when she drove to check on an elderly neighbor nearby, the office said. Her vehicle ran off the road and was engulfed in flames, killing her," NBC News reports.

Several others engaged in the firefight have been injured. Other counties including Hood, Erath, and Eastland, have begun evacuating residents.

The Texas State Guard has also joined in the firefight.

We are standing in solidarity with our West Texas neighbors and sending all our love and prayers your way.