2 killed in Central Texas wildfires

BASTROP, Texas (AP) — A massive wildfire that destroyed at least 600 homes in Central Texas has killed two people, authorities said Tuesday.

Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering said he had no details about the victims, including when or how they died.

The fire was the largest of dozens burning throughout the drought-stricken state. It started Sunday near the town of Bastrop, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Austin, and quickly spread, fanned in part by winds from Tropical Storm Lee, which dumped its rain on Gulf Coast states further east.

The state Forest Service said Tuesday morning that firefighters hadn't begun to contain the fire, which had destroyed about 600 homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of others.

State emergency manager State emergency management chief Nim Kidd said it was the most destructive fire of the year in Texas, and that the number of homes destroyed would likely go up after the hardest-hit areas are assessed.

Texas officials say more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 100,000 acres (40,469 hectares)have burned in wildfires over the past week.

A fast-moving blaze in the East Texas town of Gladewater on Sunday killed a 20-year-old woman and her 18-month-old daughter, trapping them in their burning home. That fire was eventually extinguished.

Gov. Rick Perry, who cut short a presidential campaign trip to South Carolina on Monday to return to help oversee firefighting efforts in Texas, toured a blackened area near Bastrop on Tuesday.

"Pretty powerful visuals of individuals who lost everything," Perry said. "The magnitude of these losses are pretty stunning."

Some residents said they were surprised by how quickly the blaze engulfed their neighborhoods.

"We were watching TV and my brother-in-law said to come and see this," Dave Wilhelm, 38, who lives just east of Bastrop said. "All I saw was a fireball and some smoke. All of a sudden: Boom! We looked up and left."

Wilhelm returned Tuesday to find his neighbor's house and three vehicles gone, some of his own children's backyard toys destroyed but their house spared.

"Some stuff is smoldering on the lot behind us. Inside of the house, we smell like a campfire. We're definitely very lucky."

I live in Central Texas

That sucks man, stay safe!

east texas here, this is just too sad, stupid weather we are having.

I know a few people in Texas...

Was just talking about this the other day with a few other people and one said she can see the smoke from her home.

I hope everyone in the affected areas is doing okay or have been moved to a safer location.

That sucks man, stay safe!

Thanks.

Closest one I've seen was the one in Steiner ranch, and I don't live near there I think.

Hope everyone from there's okay. Heard they're going through a bad drought.

Yeah, I live just north of Austin. It's scary.

I live in Austin and this is heartbreaking

Some morons out in Leander decided to make their own wildfire. 12 people lost their houses.

Some morons out in Leander decided to make their own wildfire. 12 people lost their houses.

Too close for comfort to my hometown. Idiots will be idiots.

Even if the whether has suddenly become "cool and windy", the majority of Texas has been without rain for most, if not all, of the summer. One spark and everything will be set ablaze.

east texas here, this is just too sad, stupid weather we are having.

A nice part of east Texas got some of that good slow soaking in rain just a few days ago.

I live in South East, Houston area, but my friend's vacation family home was most likely eaten by the fires. :/

My aunt lives in Dallas