Central Texas is burning. The worst case scenario proposed by the Texas Forest Service when they first learned of Tropical Storm Lee came true early in the afternoon of September 4, 2011 as fierce winds fanned the flames on the parched landscape of Texas during the worst drought in Texas state history.

At least eight major fires are now burning in Central Texas alone and resources are stretched so thin it may be days before some of these fires are brought under control. At one point in the afternoon, the City of Austin issued a request for at least 25 firefighters to call in for re-activation to assist with the fires, and the firefighters responded immediately.

At least 300 Homes Burned in Bastrop, Texas

As 30 to 40 mph winds raced through town, a wildfire in Bastrop, Texas burned 14,000 acres, and it is nowhere near contained. At least 300 homes are damaged or destroyed and hundreds of people evacuated. Nineteen separate agencies are now working together to fight this blaze that started out as two separate fires that joined, blowing across State Highways 21 and 71. Firefighters had three C-130s dropping water on the fire before nightfall.