Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfires
No state agency is taking responsibility for making sure the privately built lines that power many oil and gas sites are safe. Such lines have been blamed for sparking two recent Panhandle fires.
โGO NOWโ: Wildfire prompts evacuation of entire New Mexico village
Residents of a village in southern New Mexico were ordered to flee their homes without taking time to grab any belongings due to a fast-moving wildfire.
Ted Cruz and Ronny Jackson push legislation to help ranchers who lost livestock in Panhandle wildfires
The Republican senator and congressman introduced a bill that would expand a federal aid program to pay ranchers when pregnant cattle are killed in disasters.
Cows at two Texas dairy farms have bird flu, another blow to Cattle Country following wildfires
Federal officials said the nationโs milk supply should be not at risk after a bird flu outbreak hits dairies in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas.
Gov. Abbott issues state emergency response ahead of critical wildfire conditions in Panhandle, West Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a state emergency response ahead of critical wildfire conditions anticipated in the Panhandle and West Texas this weekend and into next week.
Texas firefighters completely contain Panhandle inferno that burned more than 1 million acres
A series of deadly wildfires have burned for nearly three weeks, destroying farms and ranches in several counties.
โIt does not get easierโ: Texas ranchers lose cattle and land in historic wildfires
As ranchers recover from the Smokehouse Creek fire, they face the agonizing choice of what to do with an unknown number of injured cattle.
Texas requires utilities to plan for emergencies. That didnโt stop the Panhandle fires.
Experts say utilities need to be ready for extreme weather, which could be a challenge in a state where discussing climate change is often taboo.
Facing staggering losses from wildfires, Panhandle ranchers and farmers seek aid to rebuild
Ranchers have likely lost thousands of cattle in the wildfires, according to some preliminary estimates.
Fire chief in Texas city hit hard by wildfires dies while fighting a house fire
Authorities say a Texas fire chief whose small town was among the hardest hit last week by historic blazes sweeping across the Panhandle died while fighting a house fire.
Many homes burned in the Texas wildfires werenโt insured, creating a steep path to recovery
Rural Texans are more than twice as likely to go without homeowners insurance than their urban peers.
Texas Panhandle wildfires: What you need to know about the blazes, damage and recovery
The full scope of damage still isnโt known, but some Panhandle residents have returned home. Firefighters continue battling the infernos.
Panhandle residents begin rebuilding, even as fight to contain fires continues
The fire that engulfed their town was only 15% contained over the weekend, but Canadian residents were back to selling flowers and preparing for an election.
State calls for investigation into cause of Texas Panhandle wildfires
As officials try to determine a cause for the wildfires, a Canadian homeowner filed a lawsuit blaming an energy company for the destruction. And more are expected.
As wildfires rage through Panhandle, Fritch residents seek respite at church
Shaken by the devastation, families find comfort in each other as they pick through the rubble and commune at a church in nearby Borger.
Wildfires ravage cattle country, threatening Texasโ agriculture economy
Texas wildfires have consumed acres of agricultural land, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and exacerbating challenges lingering from last yearโs drought.
Texas wildfires: how to help and how to stay safe
As firefighters work to put out the largest wildfire in Texas history, hereโs a guide to fire weather watches, safety tips and how to find organizations collecting donations to directly help local residents, including farmers and ranchers.
Texans in the Panhandle recall towering smoke and darkened skies as wildfires crept near their towns
The fires have left at least two people dead and four injured firefighters. Cattle have been lost and homes and businesses decimated in their wake.
San Antonio-area firefighters deployed to assist in battling Texas Panhandle fires
Firefighters across Bexar County are actively being deployed to assist with batting devastating fires in the Texas Panhandle.
Videos capture devastating Texas Panhandle wildfires
A series of wildfires in the Texas Panhandle has devastated communities in at least 60 counties this week, and one of them has swelled to become the second-largest in state history.
Rural Texas firefighters warn of wildfire dangers
Rural communities have seen a tremendous propulation growth. The extreme heat, and dry conditions have them worried that new residents are not fully aware of just how close they are to a dangerous wildfire.
Gov. Greg Abbott declares wildfire disaster for three-fourths of Texas
At least 8,500 acres of Texas land have burned since Aug. 1. The governorโs disaster declaration allows included counties to access state resources to fight wildfires.
San Antonians waiting to hear if their loved ones are OK after deadly Maui wildfires
Hawaiians living in San Antonio say watching parts of Maui destroyed by wildfires is painful. They're constantly keeping up with social media to get updates on their loved ones affected by the wildfires.
Texas is preparing for more wildfires without a break from heat in forecast
The number of acres burned this year is dramatically lower compared to 2022. But a rash of new fires have put state and local officials on edge.
Wildfire on Maui kills at least 6, damages over 270 structures as it sweeps through historic town
Wildfires have devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui, killing at least six people, damaging or destroying over 270 structures and reducing most of a historic town to ash.
Fire at Central Texas apartment complex causes hundreds of evacuations but no major injuries reported
A Texas grass fire that spread into trees near an apartment complex and condominiums has forced hundreds of residents from their homes but caused no major injuries.
Bexar County creates Wildfire Strike team for faster, coordinated response to grass fires
Bexar County fire officials announced a new collaboration with multiple agencies to help fight and respond to grass or wildfires.
WATCH: New York City shrouded in smoke from Canada wildfires, air quality plummets
Smoke from the wildfires in Canada has completely smothered New York City, forcing residents to stay indoors due to the hazardous air quality.
Taylor County wildfire prompts evacuations as dry conditions raise risk in West Texas
Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to nine fires across the state this week, saying they โhave the potential to exhaust state and local resources.โ
Bexar County judge issues disaster declaration amid dangerous fire conditions
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff issued a disaster declaration that includes a ban on outdoor burning amid dangerous fire conditions in the San Antonio area.
Auxilary group helps Poteet Volunteer Fire Department amid red flag warning
High fire dangers continue with dry weather, low humidity and gusty winds across South Texas. Now, a group of citizens in Poteet are standing by to help their volunteer fire department.
Crews continue work on Medina County wildfire to get to 100% containment
Emergency Services District 1 Chief Clint Cooke said crews are still working a lot of hot spots that are showing up with the dry air and wind shifts.
Medina County residents return home as evacuation orders and road closures lift
After the flames burned through 1,092 acres, officials said on Tuesday that the fire was 95 percent contained. County roads were opened back up, as was the High Mountain Ranch subdivision, where two out of three homes that burned up in the fire were located.
Wildfire risk remains high for much of Texas in the days ahead, fire officials say
Climate change has made the Texas heat hotter and longer-lasting, enhancing drought conditions that set the stage for intense fires. More than 40% of the state is in an extreme drought.
Gov. Greg Abbott declares disaster as wildfires rage in several Texas counties
Wildfires have burned more than 58,000 acres across the state. At least one person has died and dozens of homes have burned down.
Prescribed burn gone wrong likely sparked wildfire in Bastrop County, officials say
Controlled burns, used to prevent catastrophic wildfires, are typically safe and rarely get out of control. Experts warn that burns gone awry can scare residents and compromise the critical fire management tool.
Bexar County Fire Marshal warns of high fire risk on Saturday; Gov. Abbott readies emergency response
Saturdayโs cold front will bring gusty winds and low humidity and combined with current drought conditions, the risk of wildfires is very high.
![Brush removal in Converse underway to help protect neighborhood](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/zwz3Yyx1DB0VWJ21naqAlNU-Yeo=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-27-2021/t_08adf8c0a01f4fe3bea56f49266f3318_name_image.jpg)
Brush removal in Converse underway to help protect neighborhood
CONVERSE โ In Converse, a team of fire experts put in hard work Saturday morning to tackle potentially dangerous brush behind the subdivision Parc at Escondido. Converse Local 4377 worked with the City of Converse Fire Department, community leaders, Tiger Sanitation, and the Texas A&M Forest Service to clear the area. Behind the subdivision trees, fallen branches, brush, trash and construction material all pose a risk if a fire were to start. Although major progress was made for the firebreak, Cano said more work and volunteers are needed to complete the task that runs behind a total of 20 homes. To sign up to volunteer, send the Converse Professional Firefighters Association Local 4377 a message on Facebook.
![29 moving images that paint the picture of an epic 2020](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/pHQi9uYr8THEqX4RK1fEROJrqoQ=/1600x1098/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YQNZTIYMJFEW5NOS2EQ5MCPZDI.jpg)
29 moving images that paint the picture of an epic 2020
(2020 Getty Images.) (2020 Getty Images)A man holds up a sign near a burning building during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody on May 29 in Minneapolis. (2020 Getty Images)A girl holds her fist in the air while visiting the memorial for George Floyd on June 9 in Minneapolis. (2020 Getty Images)An injured man rests in a chair after a large explosion on Aug. 4 in Beirut, Lebanon. (2020 Getty Images)
KSAT Explains: The role climate change has played in western wildfires, active hurricane season
Wildfires burning in the western part of the country and an extremely active hurricane season: these two weather phenomena have become politically charged. Conversations about both have naturally turned into conversations about climate change.
![Record-breaking California wildfires surpass 4 million acres](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/QuQxxl5OGCFO8q9tFdtrSg_XNYU=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OH24YDPLMJAN7NN2UVA64RNCFA.jpg)
Record-breaking California wildfires surpass 4 million acres
โAnd that number will grow.โSo far, in this yearโs historic fire season, more than 8,200 California wildfires have killed 31 people and scorched โwell over 4 million acres in Californiaโ or 6,250 square miles, Cal Fire said Sunday in a statement. The astonishing figure is more than double the 2018 record of 1.67 million burned acres (2,609 square miles) in California. Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Virtually all the damage has occurred since mid-August, when five of the six largest fires in state history erupted. Flannigan, the fire scientist, estimates the area of land burned from wildfires in California has increased fivefold since the 1970s.
![This is the way: Baby Yoda is accompanying first responders on the frontlines of West Coast wildfires](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/3GLYjTrr9wkm_L5-HPo8L0U4Ff0=/1600x899/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DDJAE3OLR5BL3NRLH5HONJ7V5Y.png)
This is the way: Baby Yoda is accompanying first responders on the frontlines of West Coast wildfires
Attached in the care package along with Baby Yoda was a note that read as follows:โThank you, firefighters. Carver said he was setting up a donation booth for firemen when he spotted Baby Yoda โ the last on the shelf โ and knew he needed to come too. Carver said the support he and the page have received has been incredible, pointing both to the Star Wars fanbase and to the human spirit. Below are a few highlights from Baby Yodaโs journey thus far:You can keep up with Baby Yoda on his journey by keeping up with the Facebook page. RELATED: Celebrate โStar Warsโ Day with new โMandalorianโ docuseries on Disney+
![โWe get to help people out:โ San Antonio area firefighters battling California wildfires](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/T_bP2FmJqYTUGlxDKLwzT-d3kKg=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/09-19-2020/t_4c0c7598dc614b34af9e05cee4aa6165_name_image.jpg)
โWe get to help people out:โ San Antonio area firefighters battling California wildfires
San Antonio โ Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System firefighters have volunteered to help with the wildfires in California. He said 17 firefighters are from the Bexar County area. Logan Godfrey, William Bourland and Brandon Reck with Bexar County Fire District 7 just returned from their deployment. Now, the crews in California include members with the Schertz Fire Department, Canyon Lake Fire, Bexar County ESD 8,12,7,10, Bexar County Fire 7, and San Antonio Fire. Authorities in California said 26 firefighters have died so far fighting multiple fires that have overcome the state.
![Homes burned as winds push California fire into desert floor](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/PAE8ygmCrPPMp56AELL-t6xNetg=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WFTNXDGYPFFJPMPNWKDZWEKAVQ.jpg)
Homes burned as winds push California fire into desert floor
The fire grew by nearly 20,000 acres to 142 square miles (368 square kilometers). The name of the firefighter killed in the nearby El Dorado Fire was being withheld until family members are notified. More than 7,900 wildfires have burned more than 5,468 square miles (14,164 square kilometers) in California this year, including many since a mid-August barrage of dry lightning ignited parched vegetation. The El Dorado Fire has burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) and was 59% contained, with 10 buildings destroyed and six damaged. ___Associated Press writer John Antczak in Los Angeles and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report.
![Team of Texas firefighters, support personnel assisting in devastating California wildfires](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/ltbXc8tZG3uiWklx-4DttC7FgNI=/960x720/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XWQBCNAYF5B7TDLJWCFIVTTLL4.jpg)
Team of Texas firefighters, support personnel assisting in devastating California wildfires
A team of Texas firefighters and support personnel are working to help combat the devastating California wildfires under Governor Greg Abbottโs order. The governor issued the order Friday, deploying approximately 190 firefighters, 50 fire trucks, and 10 command vehicles from 56 Texas fire departments. The teams were deployed to California Friday. As of Friday, the Lightning Complex fire has burned 372,971 acres in Santa Clara County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County, Merced County, and San Benito County, ABC 7 reports. The deployment of the Texas response team was made possible through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS).
![10 now dead in massive Northern California wildfire](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/v2MyXg2P11OKdLe_NLT4aexWm3k=/1600x1064/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PYRQDNTC4RAIPNIGRI7Y3PTPSU.jpg)
10 now dead in massive Northern California wildfire
The blaze, part of the lightning-sparked North Complex, expanded at a critical rate of spread as winds buffeted the region. Butte County sheriffโs deputies and detectives found seven bodies on Thursday, a day after three other victims were discovered. They kind of held the family together.โMore bodies could be found as crews manage to make their way into devastated areas. A fire raging along the Oregon border destroyed 150 homes near the community of Happy Camp and one person was confirmed dead, the Siskiyou County Sheriffโs Office said. It was the second time in two days that firefighters in California had to take the rare last-ditch effort to save their lives.
![7 surreal photos: Wildfire smoke blankets San Francisco in a spooky orange glow](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/14hos92pJuUOc8HQ7UvXhsjXquo=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/W7ARKPQERVABDCDII5GNZAUFOQ.jpg)
7 surreal photos: Wildfire smoke blankets San Francisco in a spooky orange glow
A number of Northern California wildfires sent a thick, orange-glowing haze over the San Francisco area Wednesday, leaving the Bay in an eerie darkness. A fire burning in Butte County, located northeast of San Francisco, has forced thousands to evacuate from their homes, according to The Associated Press. (2020 Getty Images)An orange glow fills the sky above the Embarcadero in San Francisco. (2020 Getty Images)Smoke from various wildfires blankets the San Francisco skyline in darkness and an orange glow, seen from Treasure Island in San Francisco. (2020 Getty Images)An exterior view of the ballpark in San Francisco, California.
![Firefighter killed in California wildfire was Texas mom, EMT](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/71LZ4Iv9pnIgxz4XkfzwN_JhlIk=/1280x853/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3YBSM6INANAF3MEJEF6RCRDAOY.jpg)
Firefighter killed in California wildfire was Texas mom, EMT
SAN FRANCISCO A firefighter from Texas killed battling a wildfire in the Northern California forest was working the fire lines when her truck rolled off a remote backcountry road as she tried to escape the flames, fire officials said. With her family's permission, yesterday we released the name of our firefighter lost to us in California. The two largest fires, east and north of San Francisco Bay, were each at least 70% surrounded, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Wednesday. The progress has allowed thousands of people to return home but nearly 40,000 remained under evacuation orders, Cal Fire said. The fires have destroyed more than 5,800 structures destroyed, many of them homes and killed eight people.
![These celebrities are donating money to the Australian bushfires](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/2WC6ykAtUiBz3DWNLPV3LkK9sxo=/1280x720/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MDAVG64JJNG7BGUY4RIGBD5RZQ.png)
These celebrities are donating money to the Australian bushfires
The bushfires in Australia are still ravaging parts of the country and are wreacking havoc on small communities and rural towns. The damage has been devastating and news of the bushfires has spread overseas with many activists and celebrities sharing photos of the devastation on social media. There are many different places where you can donate money to help with relief, and many celebrities have shared donation links and even donated themselves. I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. Another Australian actor, Russell Crowe, who is in Australia right now, posted that he donated $105,000 to firefighters.