Texas declares wildfire emergency

Wildfires in Texas have resulted in two deaths, the destruction of 500 structures and more than 1 million acres burned since Feb. 26, according to NBC News.

The state declared an emergency late last week due to the widespread and severe damage.

“As Texans in the Panhandle respond to these devastating wildfires, the state of Texas continues working around the clock to swiftly provide the necessary resources to protect Texans,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of impacted Texans is our No. 1 priority as the potential for more dangerous wildfires persists in the coming days. We urge Texans to continue to heed the guidance of state and local officials and utilize tools that have been made available by the Texas Division of Emergency Management and local partners. I thank our brave firefighters and first responders who are risking their lives and working around-the-clock to protect their fellow Texans during this time of crisis.”

Texas continues to surge all resources needed to protect Texans impacted by these devastating wildfires.

Please heed emergency officials’ & first responders’ guidance.

The safety & well-being of our fellow Texans remains our top priority.

Resources: https://t.co/3Wi9L2VT1u pic.twitter.com/43HfFdr8Vf

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 4, 2024

With the emergency declaration, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles suspended vehicle registration as well as size and weight requirements for operators of commercial motor vehicles providing disaster assistance in Texas.

Those waivers are in place throughout the duration of the emergency, subject to the following restrictions:

• To the extent the vehicle is not already registered under the IRP and as long as the vehicle is registered in one of the 48 contiguous states of the United States
• The 72-hour and 144-hour temporary registration permit requirements as long as the vehicle is registered in one of the states of the United States
• Oversize and overweight permitting requirements for all divisible and non-divisible vehicles and loads

Drivers of commercial vehicles operating under this relief must carry copies of the Texas DMV notice and the state’s disaster declaration.

Information about assistance and resources is available through the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Current road conditions for truckers in Texas and all 50 states can be found on the Land Line website. LL

Read more Texas news.