Dry winds hamper efforts to battle Texas f beats b

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Dallas (CNN) -- Fire-friendly conditions are expected to return Thursday in various parts of Texas, where thousands of firefighters have been battling blazes that have scorched more than a million acres.

And Mother Nature's not cooperating -- warm, dry winds are blowing across the already bone-dry landscape.

"Even if we get 2 inches of rain, the ground's going to eat it up," said David Hennig, a meteorologist in Midland, Texas. "We need a pattern shift."

High-res photos: Wildfires blaze across Texas

West Texas averages nearly 15 inches of rain a year, according to Hennig.

In the past six months, only 13-hundredths of an inch of rain have been recorded in that part of the state.

While October through March is typically the dry season, that amount of rainfall is far below what it should be, Hennig said.

Weather models show the possibility of more storms this weekend and perhaps next week, he said.

While the rain is needed, storms accompanied by lightning pose a fire risk, he said.

The tinder-dry landscape has provided no shortage of fuel: On Wednesday, emergency personnel responded to four new fires across more than 1,000 acres, according to the Texas Forest Service.

On Tuesday, they responded to 10 new fires, totaling more than 2,000 acres.

Since January 1, the Texas Forest Service said, it has responded to more than 800 fires that have damaged some 5,000 structures across 1.4 million acres.

The state has seen fires in 252 of its 254 counties since December 21, 2010.

Texas Forest Service: Fire dangers and advisories

The Guadalupe Mountains face an extreme risk of fire through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Van Horn, which is 165 miles west of Odessa, is expected to face a critical fire threat on Thursday, as well as the nearby state Highway 54 corridor and the southeast New Mexico plains.

In addition to in-state crews, the Texas Forest Service is directing the efforts of more than 1,800 firefighters from 36 other states.

Wildfire ravages home but spares family roosters

Jackie Fewell, who lives in Possum Kingdom west of Fort Worth,beats by, set up a blog to provide updates on the crisis since fire warnings first were extended to the 3,000-home lake community.

"I was frustrated by a lot of misinformation that was being passed around by a lot of well-intentioned people through Facebook and text-messaging," she said.

Fewell set up the blog Saturday as a part of the website for Pondera Properties, the lake's managing real estate company, where she works.

Crews protect Texas observatory with fire of their own

"We have been able to generate this incredible response," Fewell said, noting the site has served as a bridge between residents in need of help and those able to provide it.

"We get remarks from people all over needing help," she said. "If we put out a query to get 200 leather gloves to the area, we'll have those gloves within a few days."

Fewell said the site has been responsible for aiding residents in a number of ways, from saving abandoned pets to providing real-time updates on properties threatened by the blaze.
CNNRadio's Thomas Andres and CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report.
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