BASTROP, Texas - residents left homeless by a forest fire of the massif Central Texas turned their attention Friday to what they need moving forward, with some expressing frustration on delay seen in the federal response even when the first signs of recovery emerged in the neighbourhoods of reopening.
Firefighters on the extinction of the hot spots and had isolated flames remaining of the fire which burned for almost a week in and around the city of Bastrop, destroying some 1,400 houses and approximately 45 miles square landscape private rain sweeping.
"We believe that progress towards the front (of fire) have been arrested, thank God for doing," the lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst said evacuated residents gathered at the fire command Centre.
Yet, thousands of evacuees were prevented from returning to their homes for a sixth day because the trees continued to burn underground, loose lines hung scorched poles and more than 800 firefighters were working to pack the rest of the fire of 25 km from Austin.
"It's really frustrating," said Dee Redenius, 40, who came to the fire command center to find answers. "You want to know if your home is there or if it is not." ... They do, let you know. You cannot help. »
Dewhurst, said that the State is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the staff of the emergency management of the State on the specific statements of fire. The FEMA Rachel Racusen spokesman, said Friday the Agency "received the first request of the Governor of individual aid help the residents of Texas whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the fires, or other personal losses."
She said FEMA would "work with the White House in the examination of this application as quickly as possible."
Dewhurst has also made a public plea to the President Barack Obama to make a declaration of major disaster that il has said would remove red tape and give the State access to more resources. Hours later, responsible of the White House announced that Obama has signed a statement declaring that a major disaster exists in Texas.
The move allows federal funding to be made available to people in Bastrop County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs.
"We need help yesterday...". Mr President, we must immediately a before the State of Minnesota, "Dewhurst said" claim of the Declaration of Obama.
Texas is at the heart of its worst outbreak of forest fires in the history of the State. A dangerous mixture of warm temperatures, strong winds and a historic drought has caused the fire Bastrop-area, the largest forest near 190 fire, said the forest service broke out this week, killing four people, destroying more than 1,700 houses and forcing thousands to evacuate.
The Texas Forest Service, said Friday that the Bastrop fire had accumulated a bill of at least $ 1.2 million for the moment. But the Agency warned the figure is an early estimate and should climb. The start price tag includes the costs of the fight against the fires, but not the damage caused by the blaze.
A DC - 10 jet initially for clamshell fire retardant on wildfires in Central Texas was hijacked Friday to help the firefighters with a blaze stubborn 22,000 acres straddling three rural counties in the Northwest of Houston. Fire in the counties of Montgomery, Grimes and Waller forced some people in the region to leave their homes, but was not threatening the cities or towns, said Ralph Collum Texas Forest Service spokesman.
In Bastrop, updated tables in place at the entrance of a neighbourhood that has reopened a day earlier is filled with donations of clothing and toiletries. A first aid station was assembled and streets begin to buzz with tree-trimming crews and construction contractors.
Officials also announced that schools would reopen Monday. But the Bastrop Independent School District Superintendent, said Steve Murray, "" we anticipate that the count of pupils without shelter in Bastrop ISD to triple, quad or more.""
To address that, school officials have been develop plans to pick up students in hotels, shelters and other areas.
Monica Turner, 34, was growing more frustrated every day. She had seen pictures of the family home in ash.
"We have pictures, but pictures are no good, when you have closed and you need to see face to face," said. "I need to have close so that I can go and move forward."
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