Since April 6, Texas Forest Service has responded to fires that have burned more than 1.4 million acres. While many structures have been protected and some lost, the untold number is the amount of livestock injured and dead in the wake of the fire. These fires have impacted and devastated crops and livestock caught in the path of the recent wind-swept fires across the state of Texas could suffer death, severe damage from burns and smoke inhalation.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry says 252 Texas counties are presently threatened or impacted by wildfires. There are 254 counties in Texas. Firefighters from Texas and nearby states, as well as the National Guard with the help of Apache helicopters and military cargo planes, have battled more than 7,800 fires that have destroyed 244 homes since the wildfire season started, the Insurance Council of Texas reports.
It has been difficult to estimate the total damage incurred up to this point but Governor Perry will most assuredly seek disaster assistance from the federal government.
There is some hope as the Easter weekend forecast does call for some rain. However, that rain may also bring increased risk as it may include some lightning as well.
The biggest of the numerous Texas wildfires currently raging has so far scorched nearly 150,000 acres and is only 25 percent contained. The Possum Kingdom Complex wildfire— about 70 miles west of Fort Worth — has incinerated at least 160 homes. The human toll is also devastating as two firefighters have been killed while fighting the blazes. Mourners laid to rest Wednesday a volunteer firefighter killed last week after apparently being hit by a vehicle. Another firefighter who was burned in a wildfire earlier this month in the Texas Panhandle died Wednesday morning.
In March of this year the Next Wave Marketing Strategies blog reported how Wildfires are very widespread and occur in every state of the U.S., according to the Insurance Information Institute. This illustrates another case where agents and brokers need to assess the risk of their geographic location and the needs of their clients. Next Wave is correct in stating, "Obviously, the amount of wildfires per state varied dramatically – from in the teens to the hundreds of thousands." While certain states can probably get away with just having property insured under regular fire damage insurance, those who live in drier climes would do well to be sure that their properties are protected against such catastrophe.
The state with the most wildfires in 2010? The answer given the current events should not be surprising as it is Texas which reported 16,614 fires and damaged more than 753,000 acres of land. Across the United States, over 79,000 wildfires were reported to insurance companies last year, and the fires themselves damaged over 5.9 million acres of land.
