Crews make progress with Central Texas fire

BASTROP, Texas

The fire in and around Brastrop has destroyed nearly 1,400 homes and charred tens of thousands of acres.

The Bastrop-area fire, which is the largest of nearly 190 wildfires that erupted this week across the state, remained 30 percent contained, but officials said no new homes were destroyed overnight since firefighters closed in on the flames.

Texas is in the midst of its worst wildfire outbreak in state history and its worst drought since the 1950s.

Authorities said four people have died. Thousands had to evacuate their homes because of the fires.

Officials on Thursday allowed some of the 5,000 evacuated Bastrop-area residents to return to areas no longer considered threatened.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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