I-10 open again to motorists as Pecos County fire continues

4:45 p.m. Interstate 10 open for business again.

According to Gene Powell, the Public Information Officer for the Texas Department of Transportation, motorists are allowed back on the road, but are cautioned to watch out for smoke.

FM 2886 is still closed and Highway 17 south of Balmorhea is still closed, Powell said.

3 p.m. More of Interstate 10 has been closed.
 
Interstate 10 is now closed from mile marker 294 (the Bakersfield exit) to mile marker 326 (the Sheffield exit).

Traffic is detoured north on FM 11, east on Highway 67 and south on Highway 349 which reconnects to I-10 at the Sheffield exit.
 
FM 2886 is also cut off from I-10.

The Cannon wildfire in Pecos county continues to be fed by wind and grow, a Pecos County Sheriff's Office representative said.

The representative said there were four fires, which had started about midnight Sunday. He said resources were scarce when the fire began, due to the fires in Brewster and Presidio/Jeff Davis counties, but things didn't start getting out of hand until the wind picked up Tuesday.

The representative said the biggest problem area was around Farm-to-Market 2886,. The Texas Department of Public Safety said closure of that road was probable, due to smoke and visibility issues. Interstate 10 was closed between mile markers 308 and 326 with traffic detoured via Highway 190 and Highway 349 through Iraan.

The representative said volunteers from Iraan, Rankin and McCamey and the Texas Forest Service were involved in fighting the grass fire.

Tuesday morning, a TFS report gave the fire's size at 750 acres with unknown containment.

@OdessaAmerican