WHEELER, Texas (AP) _ Firefighters continue to make progress controlling a 15,000-acre wildfire that destroyed homes and forced the evacuation of residents in the small Texas Panhandle town of Wheeler.
The fire, now being worked by local fire departments only, was 75 percent contained yesterday as wind speeds diminished.
Texas Forest Service spokesman Lewis Kearney says officials are assessing damage and loss of livestock from the weekend fire that forced the evacuation of the town of about 1,300. Residents returned and power was restored Monday.
Several new fires broke out across the state Monday.
Three homes and four other buildings were destroyed in a fire in Gregory, which is located in San Patricio County across the bay from Corpus Christi. The San Patricio County Sheriff’s Office said the fire in Gregory was out late Monday.
The Texas Forest Service also reported new fires yesterday in Anderson, Hardin, Tyler, Marion, Taylor, Brooks and Kleberg counties.
The largest appeared to be about 200 acres.