Event narrative (NOAA)
A wild fire, started by unknown causes, destroyed four buildings at the Moore Air Force Base (a former operating facility during World War II currently used for aerial pest control operations) near Alton, TX, during the early afternoon of January 19th. Gusty winds, very low humidity, dry ground, and warm temperatures helped the fire grow explosively from its onset, eventually spreading into grassland and rangeland before jumping across Farm-to-Market (FM) 681 and threatening more than 100 residences in the area. More than 100 homes were evacuated. At least five fire departments responded to the fire, including those from Starr and Cameron County; public works crews also supported the effort.||Before containment and control, the fire spread to 2560 acres, and caused an estimated $10 milli
Other notable wildfire events in Texas
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.