FORT WORTH, Texas, March 15 (UPI) -- Grass fires in the Texas Panhandle had consumed some 900,000 acres by Wednesday and killed 11 people in the state's worst outbreak in recorded history.
The acreage represents about 1,328 square miles, and the flames were being helped Wednesday by sustained winds of 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph, a high temperature of 70 degrees and low humidity, the Morris News Service reported.
In addition to the human deaths, as many as 10,000 head of cattle have died in the fires.
Gov. Rick Perry said the largest air tankers available in the country are helping to extinguish blazes across the area.
"I have activated available air assets from the Texas Army National Guard -- two CH-47 Chinook helicopters and two UH-60 helicopters -- to fight these wildfires," Perry said.
Texas has 26 aircraft, 55 bulldozer crews, 13 heavy fire engines and more than 350 personnel directly engaged in fighting the Panhandle blazes, the governor's office said.
