Central Texas firefighters battled Friday to contain wildfires that have swept the state this week, leveling homes, a church and killing an Eastland County sheriff's deputy.
Prompted by wind and drought conditions,
several fires burning in the region coalesced to form what's known as a complex
, burning near Eastland, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) west of Dallas.
Hundreds of residents of small communities have already been evacuated and thousands more remain under alert.
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Flames engulf a home in Eastland, Texas, as the wildfire moves across the state on March 18, 2022.NBC
Authorities in Eastland County reported the death of Sheriff's Deputy Barbara Fenley, who they said was trying to save people from the fires.
The circumstances of her death have not been clarified.
No other victims have been reported.
State Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for 11 counties in the center of the state, including Eastland.
As of Friday afternoon, the fires had burned about 70.9 square miles (184 square kilometers), according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
It was only 4% contained and the fires were burning in thick brush and grassy fields.
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Approximately 18,000 people live in Eastland County.
About 475 homes were evacuated in the town of Gorman, but authorities still don't know how many structures may have burned, said Matthew Ford, a spokesman for the Texas A&M Forest Service.