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Perry Issues Disaster Declaration

Governor Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration Sunday, as wildfires char parts of Texas
Photo by Jim Reese for KUT News
Governor Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration Sunday, as wildfires char parts of Texas

Governor Rick Perry is asking President Obama for a major disaster declaration, as wildfires continue to scorch sections of Texas.

From a news release issued Sunday by Governor Perry's office:

"A Major Disaster Declaration makes the state eligible for response and recovery assistance from the federal government. Texas' request includes: * Direct Federal Assistance including aviation assets and wildland, structural and wildland/urban interface firefighting resources to state and local agencies in support of firefighting operations, and * Emergency Protective Measures - measures taken before, during and after a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and protect improved public and private property.

The governor identified 252 of Texas's 254 counties as being affected by dry weather and the outbreak of wildfires that have burned over 700,000 acres.

Ian Crawford joined KUT as News Editor in 2008, after spending over four years as a reporter/anchor at KLBJ Radio in Austin. He began his broadcasting career while still in high school in Southern Oregon. During high school and college at the University of Oregon, he worked at times as a reporter, news anchor, sports play-by-play reporter, music host and commercial producer before moving to Texas in 2003.