Huge wildfires burn across Texas

Bone dry conditions and winds are said to have whipped up the flames

Firefighters in the US state of Texas are battling to contain wildfires which have burned more than one million acres in the past fortnight.

One official told CNN fires were burning "from border to border", with some covering more than 100,000 acres.

Long-term drought, high temperatures and gusting winds have created ideal conditions for the fires to spread.

Several towns have been evacuated and flames are now close to Fort Worth, one of the state's largest cities.

“The fire's coming at Possum Kingdom Lake from just about every angle at any given time”

Lee McNeely Texas Forest Service

The Texas Forest Service said it had responded to 11 new fires on Tuesday, in addition to the scores already burning across the state. Nearly 200 homes are reported to have been destroyed.

Planes have been dropping water and fire retardant on the burning areas while firefighters have been dousing threatened homes.

"We're actually seeing Texas burn from border to border," spokeswoman April Saginor told CNN.

"We've got it in West Texas, in East Texas, in North Texas in South Texas - it's all over the state," she said, adding that four fires had merged in the Dallas area.

CNN said firefighters from 34 states were now involved in the operation.

On Friday, Possum Kingdom State Park was closed, while residents of several communities around Possum Kingdom Lake, about 70 miles (113km) west of Forth Worth, have been evacuated. Some 200 inmates were also moved from the Palo Pinto county jail.

Forecasters say there is a chance rain will help firefighters in the coming week

Ash was reported to be falling from the sky in several towns.

"I was seeing flame lengths of 40ft [12m] last night," forestry spokesman Lee McNeely was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"The fire's coming at Possum Kingdom Lake from just about every angle at any given time."

Officials said the fire was unlikely to reach Fort Worth itself, which has a population of about 750,000.

Weather forecasters say there is a 30% chance of rain in the region on Wednesday and Thursday, which could ease conditions.