SC Man: Don't Blame Me, Blame Fire Dept.

Bastrop fire just 30% contained

(NEWSER) - Texas’ Bastrop Wildfire has already been named the state’s worst ever , and it continues to rage: Now 1,386 homes have been destroyed, and the fire is just 30% contained. Two people have died, one of them a city of Austin employee found inside his home. The fire has burned about 38,000 acres and has affected a 25 mile by 20 mile area, MyFox Austin reports. More»

Firefighters can't contain Wallow Fire

(NEWSER) - Firefighters worked through the night to protect several mountain communities from a wildfire that has been blazing uncontrolled since May 29. The 144,000-acre Wallow Fire, near the New Mexico-Arizona state line, has burned through 225 square miles of forest and brush and is the third largest fire in state history. Fire officials have zero containment of it, the AP reports. Gov. Jan Brewer called it “horrific.” More»

In Fort Davis, the fire scorched 20 miles in 90 minutes

(NEWSER) - Wildfires roared through Texas yesterday, burning more than 230,000 acres and destroying about 80 homes. One West Texas blaze covered 20 miles in 90 minutes, crossing railroad tracks and state highways as it burned more than 60,000 acres and destroyed 40 homes. "Frankly, it moved almost as quick as a truck," the county emergency management coordinator tells Reuters . "When you hear the word firestorm, this is what I imagine." More»

(NEWSER) - Investigators say the wildfire tearing through South Carolina was set off by someone burning yard debris, the AP reports. The fire apparently rekindled days later, then burned through dry scrub and trees into North Myrtle Beach. The fire was about 50% contained this afternoon, and the tourist area of Myrtle Beach remains unscathed, but officials warned the situation could change quickly if winds pick up. More»

2,500 evacuated in North Myrtle Beach area

(NEWSER) - Fires have forced the evacuation of around 2,500 people in the North Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, the Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports. At least 40 homes have been destroyed and 100 damaged by fire in Horry County, a tourist hotspot; no injuries have been reported. "This has already proved to be a devastating event for Horry County, and it isn't over," said Gov. Mark Sanford, who declared a state of emergency in the county. More»