Dozens Of Abilene, Texas Buildings Burned By Wildfire

High winds, drought conditions and extreme temperatures have caused a series of wildfires in Texas, including one that the authorities on Thursday said had destroyed about 30 structures and burned more than 9,000 acres.

The fast-moving Mesquite Heat Fire, just southwest of Abilene, Texas, was 5 percent contained on Thursday afternoon and was one of nine wildfires that the Texas A&M Forest Service was battling across the state, the agency said.

In Wilbarger County, in North Texas, the Coconut Fire has burned 25,000 acres and was 20 percent contained, the agency said Thursday.

A firefighter sustained burns while battling the fire on Tuesday. The firefighter was treated at a hospital and released, the forest service said.

In Taylor County, the site of the Mesquite Heat Fire, the area was facing drought conditions, wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour and temperatures far exceeding 100 degrees, said Elise Roberts, a spokeswoman for the Abilene Fire Department.