Wildfire destroys \'at least 300 homes\' in Texas

"It\'s catastrophic. It\'s a major natural disaster," Mark Stanford, fire chief of the Texas Forest Service, told The Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

Firefighters battled flames across the region, including one that has burned through nearly 200 acres (80 hectares) in Pflugerville and parts of Bastrop County. Another 10 homes are currently in the path of the blaze, the daily said.

"There is no arson, no suspicion of arson, and the source is still unknown," Pflugerville spokeswoman Terri Waggoner said.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in much of the affected area, The American-Statesman said.

Central Texas has been suffering from a severe drought for much of this summer.

Lee came ashore as a tropical storm in southern Louisiana early Sunday, packing sustained winds of about 45 miles (75 kilometers) per hour and threatening tornadoes to a huge area of the southern United States.

© Copyright AFP Agence France-Presse GmbH - All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed. All reproduction or redistribution is expressly forbidden without the prior written agreement of AFP.