UPDATE: According to the Texas Forest Service, firefighters have responded to and extinguished at least two more wildfires today - a five-acre fire between Henderson and Tatum in Rusk County, and a two-acre fire near Beckville in Panola County.
EAST TEXAS (KYTX) - Texas Forest Service officials say they do not know why smoky conditions have been reported in Longview, Daingerfield and other northeast Texas locations.
Since 11 a.m., the National Weather Service has reported smoke and haze at the East Texas Regional Airport. Texas Forest Service Assistant Regional Fire Coordinator David Abernathy said the agency's aircraft found no wildfires today but did find a controlled burn near Ore City. The forest service also reported a one-acre wildfire near Marshall today that has been extinguished.
State fire monitors with Texas A&M University say that all of East Texas is under moderate fire danger today, including Van Zandt and Hunt counties, which are measuring among the most extreme drought conditions in the state, according to the Keetch-Byram Drought Index.
Winds have varied from calm to up to 9 MPH blowing from east to northwest and back east. The relative dipped as low as 31 percent shortly before 5 p.m. at the airport, compared to 25 percent humidity reported in Marshall.
John Fugitt, Greenville regional fire coordinator for the Texas Forest Service, said a 48-acre fire was extinguished by area firefighters near the Cash community off Texas 34 south of Greenville. Though one house was threatened and 27 round hay bales were destroyed, no injuries were reported and no structures from damaged from the blaze, identified as the Yellow House Fire.
Fugitt added that he did not believe that smoke from the Yellow House Fire was causing smoky conditions in Longview and Daingerfield.
Outdoor burn bans are in effect in Henderson and Marion counties.
