KTBB News, Weather, Talk

NEW YORK (AP) – Lufkin Industries Inc. said Tuesday it plans to buy substantially all of the assets owned by Quinn’s Oilfield Supply Ltd. for about $303 million in cash. Quinn’s, based in Red Deer, Canada, makes a variety of industrial pumps. It operates two factories and 51 service facilities near North America’s oil and gas fields. Lufkin, an oil service company based in Lufkin, Texas, said the acquisition will expand its services in North America at a time when the industry is aggressively tapping underground shale wells. “The acquisition of Quinn’s will instantly give Lufkin a significantly larger footprint in Canada from which to market and service our other products,” John F. “Jay” Glick, Lufkin president and CEO, said. The deal is expected to close before the end of 2011.

SMITH COUNTY — High winds spreading flames fast destroy several homes and force a set of evacuations Monday afternoon in eastern Smith County. Fire crews went door to door on Farm Road 2767 and County Road 239 to evacuate families from their houses. The Jackson Heights Fire Department posted a command center to control the blaze. Smith County Fire Officials tell KETK the fire started off CR 239 in a residential area. Five homes have been destroyed and one home has been heavily damaged. Two of the homes were unoccupied at the time of the fire and the residents were able to escape the other two. Homes in a two mile area have been evacuated.

State Highway 31 and county roads in the area are now reopened. The fire will continue to burn or several days, but officials say no structures are currently in danger. According to a county press statement, volunteer fire departments from around the county will continue to monitor hot spots in the area until the fire is fully contained. Officials believe the fire might have started after charcoal from a grill fell on the ground, but they add they are not positive at this moment. An 18-wheeler holding animal feed was also destroyed in the fire. Water tanker trucks have been assisting due to low pressure and the difficulty of getting water to the area.

NACOGDOCHES – A fire in western Nacogdoches County has forced the evacuation of the Upshaw community. The fire started in Cherokee County, but jumped a river and headed into Nacogdoches County. Several fire departments along with the Texas Forest Service are fighting the flames. By late Monday afternoon the fire had grown to 300 acres and, because of the gusty winds, was still growing.

GREGG COUNTY – Fires in Gregg County have burned thousands of acres and are responsible for a couple of deaths. Community members are reacting after two bodies were found in a burned out mobile home on Gladewater’s Lincoln Springs Road. Killed was Valerie McBride, 20 and her 18-month old daughter K’loe Cheek. An autopsy has been ordered. Neighbor Debbie Johnston told KETK, “My heart does go out to them, because it’s one thing to lose stuff, but when you lose people, that’s terrible — that’s absolutely terrible. But this community is so strong. They’re tough…you can tell they’re all pulled together.” Gladewater Police also confirm evacuations in the following areas: Rosy Wady Road, Lincoln Springs Road, Old Hwy (Old Gladewater Road), Tennerville Road. The fire that has destroyed at least 7 homes, at last report, was 60% contained.

The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department has reported evacuations for the Liberty City area. A wildfire was affecting an area just south of Interstate-20, near the intersection of Goforth Road and Mt. Pisgah Road. According to KETK, officials were calling the blaze a “major fire,” and several homes were being threatened.

PALESTINE — Anderson County is among the areas of East Texas being hit hard by wildfire. Evacuations are underway in part of the county, and late Monday, a new fire sparked in the Mound Prairie Lake area. Meanwhile, according to KETK, firefighters are still battling the so-called New Chapel fire that broke out in Anderson County around midday Sunday. As of late Monday, the fire was said to cover about 1,000 acres and had destroyed about five homes. Officials said the blaze was about 40% contained. They said it was likely caused by branches touching power lines. Throughout Anderson County, wildfires have charred over 5,000 acres and destroyed five buildings.

LONGVIEW — Officials have announced a mandatory evacuation through much of Gregg County. According to KETK, a large wildfire has been burning out of control in the southwestern portions of the county. Evacuation has been ordered for everyone south of U.S. Highway 80 and west of State Highway 42 between Camp Switch Road and Lawson with a southern border of Merrils Road. Officials caution you not to drive into smoke or cross barricades.

NEW LONDON — According to the Rusk County Office of Emergency Management, a fire broke out Monday in New London. According to KETK, officials have been telling motorists to avoid the following areas due to fire activity: CR 1114, FM 3053, and 42/850 intersection in New London. We’ll provide more details as they become available.

EAST TEXAS — SWEPCO officials said at one point this morning, there were around 650 East Texas customers without power, most located in Longview and Gladewater. That number has since been reduced to about 114. The majority of the power outages from Sunday have been taken care of but the electric company was expecting more outage reports today due to high wind in the area.

TROUP — A Troup man died Thursday night in a two-vehicle wreck on Farm Road 346 in Smith County, the Department of Public Safety reported over the weekend. Anthony Long, 45, was driving a 2002 Nissan Altima south on the highway two miles north of Troup, shortly after 10:00pm, when he lost control of the vehicle on a curve. Authorities say the car and a northbound pickup then collided. Long was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup, Ronald Decus, 45, also of Troup, was taken to an area hospital where he was treated and released. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

GREGG COUNTY — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department has reported evacuations are underway for the Liberty City area. A wildfire is affecting an area just south of Interstate-20, near the intersection of Goforth Road and Mt. Pisgah Road. According to KETK, officials are calling the blaze a “major fire”, and several homes are being threatened. Gladewater Police also confirm evacuations in the following areas:

Rosy Wady Road, Lincoln Springs Road, Old Hwy (Old Gladewater Road), Tennerville Road

Officials say the fire is moving south.

TYLER — Fire officials tell KETK, a wildfire near Tyler Pounds Airport has now burned 25 acres of land. Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze which is said to have started around noon Saturday. Officials are still investigating the cause of that fire, but it may have been caused by a downed power line. Firefighters say the blaze is contained but due to the high winds, it has been very hard to put all the way out. No injuries have been reported.

LONGVIEW — Almost one hour after weather forecasters issued a fire danger alert for most of East Texas, authorities responded to a grass fire along Interstate 20 between Lansing Switch Road and Loop 281/FM 968.

The fire sent thick, white smoke across a more than three-mile stretch of the interstate, forcing Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to shut down the freeway in both directions, and DPS troopers from Gregg County were called to assist with directing traffic on nearby county roads.

Big Oak Park trailer park was evacuated due to the fires in the area. Interstate 20 has been reopened to traffic in both directions. Harrison County Fire Marshal Thomas Mock says he is hopeful that the fire is now about 60 percent contained. Several departments remained in the area battling the blaze. First Baptist church in Hallsville opened up for evacuees.

Shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a “Red Flag Warning” until 7 p.m. for locations west of Marshall and north of Nacogdoches and Rusk. Sustained winds from the north and north-northeast increased throughout the day to as much as 30 mph, while humidity dropped to between 20 and 25 percent. Under a Red Flag Warning, extreme fire weather conditions such as dry vegetation and strong winds exist.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Van Zandt County Officials reported a large fire burning in the county. Multiple emergency crews are reported to have responded to the massive fire in the Van area. Authorities say the flames were sparked when a transformer exploded. The high winds spread the hot debris and flames quickly. Thousands are said to be without power.

LONGVIEW — Two Alabama residents are under arrest after a traffic stop uncovers a large amount of drugs Saturday morning. James Lloyd Smith, 55, (pictured) and 36-year-old Kristy Suzanne Wilkes remained jailed in Longview under felony charges of possessing between five and 50 pounds of marijuana. They were arrested around 10:45 on I-20. Additional information about the highway bust was not immediately available. Bonds for each were $7,500 on the pot charge, with Smith held under another $11,000 on his other three drug charges and Wilkes under another $6,000 in bonds.

SMITH COUNTY– A wildfire outside Tyler has damaged several structures. According to KETK, the fire was reported to be off of County Road 3161 and County Road 3151 just north of the old county work farm, close to the Jackson Heights subdivision. Two structures were reportedly destroyed and several others were in immediate danger. Red Springs, Winona, Jackson and the Smith County Fire Marshal responded to the scene. No injuries were reported and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.