
AUSTIN Gov. Rick Perry today issued a disaster proclamation for 167 counties in response to the significant threat posed by wildfire conditions in those areas.
The governors proclamation allows the state to activate all essential resources and suspends pertinent rules and regulations that could impede the states ability to quickly respond to the constantly changing threat. The proclamation also allows the state to request any necessary federal assistance.
As continued drought conditions have made the threat of wildfires a reality the state is assisting in battling these fires and we will continue to provide the necessary resources to protect our communities" Gov. Perry said. I urge all Texans to use extreme care in outdoor activities be aware of burn bans in their counties and take precautions to protect their homes and property while these conditions persist."
A high pressure system over the state for the last month has produced a hot and dry pattern causing consecutive days of triple digit temperatures and a lack of precipitation and posing a significant fire threat that is expected to continue. As a result of these conditions burn bans have been issued in 152 counties.
Since June 25 more than 10000 acres have been burned by wildfires across the state with nearly 150 homes threatened. State agencies and organizations including the American Red Cross Texas Forest Service Texas Military Forces and Texas AgriLife Extension Service have responded to the fires.
The counties designated in the disaster proclamation are as follows:
Anderson Angelina Aransas Archer Atascosa Austin Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Bexar Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brooks Brown Burleson Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Cameron Camp Cass Chambers Cherokee Clay Collin Colorado Comal Cooke Coryell Crosby Dallas Delta Denton DeWitt Dimmit Duval Eastland Edwards Ellis Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Frio Galveston Garza Gillespie Goliad Gonzales Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hardin Harris Harrison Hays Henderson Hidalgo Hill Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hunt Irion Jack Jackson Jasper Jefferson Jim Hogg Jim Wells Johnson Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kerr Kinney Kleberg La Salle Lamar Lampasas Lavaca Lee Leon Liberty Limestone Live Oak Llano Lynn Madison Marion Matagorda Maverick McLennan McMullen Medina Midland Milam Montague Montgomery Morris Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nueces Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Polk Rains Real Red River Refugio Robertson Rockwall Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio Scurry Shackelford Shelby Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sutton Tarrant Throckmorton Titus Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Ward Washington Webb Wharton Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Wilson Wise Wood Young Zapata and Zavala.
To view the governors disaster proclamation please visit
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/13324/