Texas fire destroys 1,554 homes, 17 people missing
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The number of homes destroyed by a Texas wildfire has risen to 1,554 and is expected to further increase as officials enter more areas where the blaze has been extinguished, officials said Sunday. Seventeen people remain unaccounted for.
The federal government on Friday declared Texas a disaster area, paving the way for individuals to get financial aid. County emergency management director Mike Fisher said the Bastrop blaze is now 50 percent contained. North of Houston, meanwhile, firefighters say a tri-county blaze that has consumed more than 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) and destroyed nearly 60 homes is also half contained. (AP)
