Devastation and heartache has no borders. The massive disaster which is still unfolding in Japan will affect us all before it is over. The stories and pictures are truly heartbreaking and our thoughts and prayers for all of Japan and other areas impacted by the earth quake and tsunami are with them all.
TOKYO -- Japan's northeastern coast was a swampy wasteland of broken houses, overturned cars, sludge and dirty water Saturday as the nation awoke to the devastating aftermath of one of its greatest disasters, a powerful tsunami created by one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded.
Today marks the 5th anniversary (March 12, 2006), of the start of seven days of wildfire carnage that burned about a million acres in the eastern Panhandle. The fires killed 12 people and more than 1,000 cattle. They stretched from Borger to Skellytown, Pampa, McLean, Miami and Canadian. Other blazes burned out of control near Childress and in Oldham County.
As we remember the past we must deal with the present and think to the future.
AP-Southwest Wildfires
March 11, 2011 21:47 EST
March 11, 2011 21:47 EST
Grass fires destroy homes near Oklahoma City
UNDATED (AP) -- Firefighters are struggling to extinguish a number of wind-driven grass fires in the parched Southwest.
The fires have burned dozens of homes in the Oklahoma City suburbs and forced the evacuation of hundreds more. A fire in and around Harrah has forced the evacuation of two schools and a nursing home. Near Norman, a blaze is threatening a casino and surrounding neighborhood.
In Texas, a fire official says a wildfire threatening the town of Jacksboro in North Texas has grown to about 3,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 50 to 75 homes. The fire also closed two nearby highways. A 100-acre fire north of Fort Worth has forced the evacuation of about 24 homes.
In Colorado, crews are gaining ground on a wildfire in the foothills west of Boulder. It's scorched at least 200 acres and prompted the evacuation of more than 200 homes.
Wildfires scorch North Texas
A fast-moving wildfire burned about 7,000 acres in its 12-mile path across Jack County on Friday, destroying six houses and forcing the evacuation of 150 residences, officials reported.
"That was a hell of a fire," said Wise County Deputy Sheriff Doug Whitehead. "You could see those fire tornadoes build up. They were thick and a story tall."
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/03/11/2915827/wildfires-scorch-north-texas.html#ixzz1GNZR535T
Wildfires In Oklahoma Force Hundreds To Evacuate
OKLAHOMA — Governor Mary Fallin today declared a State of Emergency for all 77 Oklahoma counties as more than two dozen wildfires spread across the state, causing evacuations.
SHAWNEE, Okla. — A massive, swift-moving grass fire destroyed several homes and forced evacuations of more than 20 other residences as it traveled about two miles in the Shawnee Twin Lakes area Friday afternoon.
Veruska Trask evacuates from her home in Crestview Estates during the Lefthand Canyon Fire on Friday. She also lost her home in the Fourmile Fire last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0t--zyb3Z4
So what is it we can do so that folks like Veruska Trask in the video above will not loose another home in another wildfire? Some say there is nothing folks can do, its fate, its nature. WELL we might NOT be able to prevent all of the fires BUT we can NO ONLY YOU CAN prevent those that are caused by carlessness. SMOKEY BEAR was and is right, there are things we can do to prevent wildfires. Please visit his site at http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/smokey-bear.shtml
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/index-prev-ed.shtml
www.smokeybear.com
Texas http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=1542
Oklahoma http://www.forestry.ok.gov/fire-prevention
Colorado http://www.southwestcoloradofires.org/prevention.htm
And there ARE things we/YOU can do to help your home have a better chance to survive a wildfire PLEASE visite the firewise informational sites in your state. In Virginia check out http://www.firewisevirginia.org/ and the National site at http://www.firewise.org/
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