Wildfire burns 50,000 acres in the Valley

AP/MSNBC:

A wildfire blamed on a fallen power line in the Rio Grande Valley spread to 50,000 acres Wednesday, forcing hundreds from their homes.

A 40-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 281 -- the main route north out of the area -- was reopened in both directions about 6:30 a.m., said Hidalgo County spokeswoman Cari Lambrecht.

The fire that began Tuesday afternoon was 50 percent contained by Wednesday morning.

Earlier, firefighters estimated the blaze as 18 miles wide with flames leaping 40 feet into the air.

At least four homes were destroyed, and bulldozers uprooted grass near the Hidalgo County Jail and an elementary school in hopes of stopping the encroaching flames, authorities said at a news conference early Wednesday.

At least 500 people were evacuated, but no injuries had been reported, The Monitor in McAllen reported.

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Washington County where I lived lifted its outdoor burn ban last week and any fires in this area would have been quickly extinguished by the over an inch of rain we had yesterday. It has been a wet early spring in this part of Texas and the Bluebonnets are in bloom. Trees have got their new green foliage and the ponds are full. Hopefully the folks in the Valley will be able to make their land productive again soon.