US News
Firefighters in Oklahoma, Texas continue to battle wildfires
By DPA
Dec 30, 2005, 19:00 GMT

Washington - Firefighters in Oklahoma and Texas on Thursday continued to battle raging wildfires, news reports said.

About 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) and 200 homes have been destroyed by the blazes in both states, Fox News reported.

Major Brian Stanaland of the Oklahoma City Fire Department told Fox that new fires had cropped up during the day Thursday, fuelled by gusty winds.

With New Year's Eve approaching, officials in Texas urged residents not to set off fireworks, The Dallas Morning News reported.

'The closest thing we have to banning them [fireworks] is to beg,' the newspaper quoted Randy Renois, fire marshal for Tarrant County, as saying.

The Louisiana National Guard has sent military helicopters to Texas to help contain the flames, some as high as 1.2 metres.

Meteorologists predicted cooler temperatures for the region on Friday, with conditions worsening again over the weekend.

Both Texas and Oklahoma are experiencing drought conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures, creating an ideal environment for the outbreak of wildfires.