News

Texas wildfires continue to rage

A Texas ag economist expects wildfire damages to total more than $25 million while fires continue to burn across the state.

“That obviously is going to put a hurt on a lot of these ranchers, but we also lost four people in this fire and there’s not much you can do about that.”

Steve Amosson with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service tells Brownfield more than 540,000 acres have burned as of his last count Friday.  “That fire danger is going to remain high until we can get some sustained rains in here that will dampen things down to keep things under control.”

He says while the growing losses of more than 2,500 cattle and 1,900 hogs might not make an impact on the total U.S. market, producers in Texas will be hit hard.  “In the big picture it’s not going to effect it at all I don’t think, it’s just for those that are effected, obviously the results could be devastating.”

Amosson says ideal growing conditions last year left much of the landscape this winter covered with grass and after more than a month without rain and very dry conditions, the risk of fire has been extreme.

He says 2006 Panhandle complex fires which burned across a million acres were the largest in Texas’ history. While the acreage count isn’t that high this year, total damages could be more than three-quarters of the 2006 fire.

AUDIO: Interview with Steve Amosson