By Kevin Jefferies
Texas – Nine Texas counties where wildfires destroyed homes and blackened thousands of acres are included in a disaster declaration issued by President Bush.
The disaster declaration covers Callahan, Cooke, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Montague, Palo Pinto, Tarrant and Wise counties in North and West Texas.
A Red Flag warning has gone up for most of the area until Friday evening, as dry conditions, low humidity, and high winds continue. Outdoor burning bans persist all through north and east Texas.
Wildfires have killed three people, burned more than 250-thousand acres and more than 330 homes since late December.