Wild Card Blog Part Two - Wildfires Ravaging Texas

   Amidst an onslaught of headlines pertaining to the national budget and debt ceiling debate, it is important to observe the other happenings across the country (as well as the world).  Recent weeks have seen Texas battling dozens of wildfires across the state.

Wildfire threatening a home in Strawn, Texas, earlier this week.

Thus far, the wildfires have burned over 1.8 million acres, destroying hundreds of homes in their wake.  It has been reported that the state forest service is fighting fires all the way from the Louisiana border to the mountains of West Texas, a distance of more than 500 miles.

A herd of cattle runs from a wildfire near Marfa, Texas.

Last Monday, Governor Rick Perry asked for federal aid in containing the fires that have claimed two lives. In addition, Gov. Perry issued a proclamation on Thursday declaring this holiday weekend as "Days of Prayer for Rain".

The proclamation reads:

WHEREAS, throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer; it seems right and fitting that the people of Texas should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this devastating drought and these dangerous wildfires;

I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on that day for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal and robust way of life.

Although this may not prove to be as effective as a fire retardant slurry dropped from an emergency plane, it is the best that the Gov. Perry can offer, and I can appreciate his attempt at unifying those in his state and around the country in the face of this crisis.

Emergency crews drop fire retardant on a wildfire as it approaches a home near Stawn, Texas.

It is also important to understand this event from an ecological standpoint. With wildfires on this scale, food sources for many species of animals are destroyed. In addition, the availability of water and moisture needed for wildlife can be severely reduced as a result of a widespread fire. The loss of shelter to wildlife is also of critical concern.

A prairie racer snake finds little food in an area consumed by the on-going wildfires in Texas.