Wildfire in Gray, Texas

The wildfire known as the Borger wildfire started four miles southeast of Borger on the Burnett (6666) Ranch property. This wildfire was caused by downed power lines due to the strong gradient southwesterly winds. The wildfire burned four hundred and seventy-nine thousand five hundred and forty-nine acres. Twenty eight structures were lost and seven people were killed. This fire burned into southeast Hutchinson County...northwest Gray County...through central Roberts County and finally into western Hemphill County. The second wildfire known as the Interstate 40 wildfire burned four hundred and twenty-seven thousand six hundred and ninety-six acres. This wildfire started four miles east of Groom near Boydston and was also caused by downed power lines from the strong gradient southwesterly winds. Eighty vehicles and eighty outbuildings were destroyed. Nine fire fighters were injured and one of those injured fire fighters died about a month later. Four people were killed in a nine vehicle accident on Interstate 40. The Texas Forest Service named the two wildfires the East Amarillo Complex which killed approximately five thousand head of livestock. Over forty structures were destroyed including thirty-two homes. More than one thousand and forty electrical poles were destroyed leaving at least eighty homes without power. The wildfires also destroyed about seven hundred miles of fencing. The Texas Forest Service said that the wildfires moved forty-five miles in just nine hours with a spread rate of five miles an hour and flame lengths of greater than eleven feet.