Texas Governor Greg Abbott extends wildfire disaster declaration, nearly 200 Texas counties affected
Texas – Texas Governor Greg Abbott has extended the existing wildfire disaster declaration beyond January 2025 in reaction to continuous severe fire conditions. This extension restates the determination of the state to fight the wildfires endangering many Texas counties.
Originally issued on October 14, 2024, the disaster declaration was deemed necessary given the imminent possibility of “widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property” arising from high fire activity. The Texas Division of Emergency Management has verified that these severe conditions still exist, which calls for continuous governmental action.
Issued from the Governor’s office on January 12, 2025, the revised proclamation states that the disaster conditions exist in many Texas counties including major locations like Dallas, El Paso, and Travis. Emphasizing the broad scope of the fire hazards confronting the state, the proclamation lists all the counties from Andrews to Zavala.
Governor Abbott has not only reinstated the proclamation but also increased the tools available to handle the situation under the authority granted by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code. Section 418.017 authorizes the use of all available state government resources as well as those of political subdivisions deemed essential to properly handle the emergency.
Governor Abbott has also used Section 418.016 to suspend any administrative rules or legislative laws that would impede quick response to the wildfire risks. Rapid and efficient emergency responses by state agencies depend on this suspension to ensure that procedural delays during this vital period do not impede them.
Many state and municipal authorities are part of the continuous disaster response, carefully managed to handle the issue. Where most needed to save lives and property, these agencies are empowered to organize evacuations, create emergency shelters, and apply firefighting resources.
Governor Abbott’s declaration confirms Texas’s preparedness to assist impacted areas and handle the ongoing dangers presented by the wildfires as the state keeps confronting these major difficulties.
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Affected residents are advised to remain informed follow local recommendations, and help with emergency management initiatives. Texas’ approach to lessen the effects of the wildfires and protect its people and their belongings still depends critically on the extended disaster declaration.
These are the counties affected by the disaster declaration:
Andrews, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Denton, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Freestone, Frio, Gaines, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Howard, Hudspeth, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Knox, Lamb, Lampasas, La Salle, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Martin, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Moore, Motley, Navarro, Nolan, Ochiltree, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Real, Reeves, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Sherman, Somervell, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Terry, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Yoakum, Young, and Zavala Counties
