Lightning sparks fires

A dry lightning storm that rolled through West Texas on Thursday sparked four large grassfires that kept the Texas Forest Service and area firefighters busy, forest service spokesman Lewis Kearney said.

The largest fire was in Presidio County, where 13,500 acres were burned by Thursday evening between Marfa and Presidio. Kearney said it didn't threaten any structures because of its remote location and was 60 percent contained.

Five single-engine air tankers and two helicopters, along with several bulldozers and trucks were attacking the fire, Kearney said. Presidio County Sheriff's Office dispatcher Iva Borras said firefighters from Marfa and Presidio were also working on the massive fire.

Forest service bulldozers and crews were also working on three blazes in Brewster County, including a 300 blaze that threatened eight homes and a 3,500-acre fire that was approaching one house and four other buildings.

Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson said there was a forth fire in the mountains between Alpine and Terlingua at Y-Bar-O Ranch, though he did not have an estimate on its size.

Jeff Davis County also had a 1,200 "complex" of fires.

Kearney said all of the blazes were started by lightning strikes.