Conditions are ripe for fires of any kind in Texas because of dry and windy weather that has already fanned fires in the state Panhandle.
Red Flag fire warnings, High Wind warnings and other advisories are in effect for most of the state, effective well into tonight as roads close near fire locations.
In the Panhandle, a wildfire ignited yesterday in Roberts County, northeast of Amarillo, growing to an estimated 11,000 acres, but firefighters have been working aggressively and it's now about 50% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Just south of Roberts County is Gray County, where a wildfire named "The Rest Area Fire" has been blazing over 3,000 acres and is 30% contained.
There are dust storms also reported at various state locations, with strong winds creating poor visibility.
Several roads are closed, including I-27, a major Panhandle highway, which is shutdown between the towns of Canyon and Happy.
US 287 is also reported shutdown because of a nearby fire.
There are also a reported 60,000 people without power in the Panhandle for fire-related reasons.
And thousands of customers of one utility are without power because the utility needed to shut down electricity lines because of potential fire danger in the dry windy weather.
