Post Fire Pick Me Up

"The Answer, My Friend, Is . . . "

The National Weather Service has released the speed of the peak wind gusts from yesterday:

Probably More To This

But this overturned car in the median on 287 south of Rhome was causing traffic to be diverted to a service road this morning

Star Telegram Front Page

It's not Wise County, but a heck of a picture.

Edit: As some of the posts have questioned, has that picture been photoshopped to some extent to make it appear the flames are greater than they actually were? I don't know. I would hope not. But it sure has me thinking.

Let's Get Artistic

Sheesh, the local affiliates all have brief coverage of the Paradise Fire of 2008 but there's nothing really new to add. But I did find this pic in on the Dallas Morning News web site taken by Vernon Bryant.

Place your bets on whether the Messenger's Joe Duty tops it tomorrow.

Paradise Lost

Channel 8 . . .

. . . has posted two videos of the "devastating scenes" from the Wise County fires here this afternoon. I would describe them but I can't get them to play. Sometimes I hate the Internets. Edit: WBAP has updated the fire damage to 640 acres and 16 structures.

Can't Tell Much . . .

. . . but this pic was sent in by a reader who saw the fire near Bridgeport's uncomfortably named "Mexican Cemetery."

Other Fire News From WCSO

There is a fire reported on the Wise County and Parker County line at New Hope Road area. Another reported fire is in the area of Knob Hill Road in Parker County. Another area that has a reported fire going on is on the edge of the City of Bridgeport on CR 1658 By the Mexican Cemetery and State Highway 380 area. In the Chico area another fire was reported at Farm Market 1810 and County Road 1650. At this time area fire departments are working to extinguish the fires and there have not been injuries reported. The command post is set up at the ball park east of the Paradise. Paul Cunningham, the Wise County Fire Marshall/Emergency Management Coordinator is the coordinating all activity from the command post. (Thanks emailer)

Looking Towards Paradise from 51 Southbound (Past CR 3259)

Northbound 51 (Shortly after noon)

From 114 (About A Mile From Paradise) Facing North/Northwest Shortly Before Noon

On 51 Facing South About A 1/2 Mile Before 114 (shortly before noon)

Wise County Burning

(Flag pic taken at Boyd Post Office around 12:30 p.m. )

Just a rumor. Anyone know anything? With these winds, it could get crazy.

Edit: As a commenter pointed out, it's in the Update.

Edit#2: 11:42 This is a phone in post live from the scene: This looks BAD! 114 is shut down in Paradise. Thick smoke is extending all the way across FM 51 where it makes driving hazardous.

Stay tuned for bad pictures.

Looks like firetrucks and Troopers are moving east to cover the scene.

Edit #3: 11:55am Westbound Hwy 114 being diverted to FM 51.

Edit #4: 12:00pm Hearing of unconfirmed rumors of another fire in Chico.

Edit #5: I'm back at the office. I left from Decatur and headed down 51 to 114. It was amazing the amount of smoke that was coming from the Paradise area. Lots of firefighters using that area as a command post. I turned right on 114 to head into Paradise. A frightening amount of smoke. Saw the cops shut down 114 and turn everyone around. The wind had been out of the West but it seems like it was more from the North as time passed. If anyone has any better information or photos, just pass them along. blog2[at]wisecounty.com


Edit #6: If I had to GUESS (and this is only a guess), I would think the fire began in or near the blue circle below.



Edit #7: WBAP reported at 1:30 p.m that "300 acres" had been consumed, "14 structures", and that firefighters were battling to keep the fire out of the Stonegate Subdivision.

Nip/Tuck X 42

Darlin', you're crazy enough to become Mrs. Green #9.

Stating The Obvious

Dateline Decatur (AP) - I'm not sure I've ever seen it this windy. From the third floor of the courthouse, Bridgeport is covered in a sandstorm.

No one light a match.

Local Democrats Have Slogan

Link.

OK, Maybe I'm Confused

I had the State of the Union on in the background but wasn't listening. But at the end, I heard Katie Couric tell me that Bush had just delivered his "seventh" State of the Union speech. Am I losing my mind, or isn't this the eighth speech? If you give a speech from 2001 to 2008, isn't that eight?

I googled her comment to see if anyone was jumping on her, but all I came up was the above where she put it in writing.

Somebody tell me what I'm missing.