$4M Received After Central Texas Wildfires

Parts of Central Texas devastated by wildfires last year have benefited from more than $4 million in private donations and the help of volunteers who are rebuilding homes.

The Austin American-Statesman reports that in Bastrop County, agencies and groups are trying to rebuild more than 200 homes for people who did not have insurance or not enough insurance.

The American Red Cross spent $699,000 in the wake of the wildfires. The Austin Community Foundation received $1.3 million.

Meanwhile, Mennonite volunteers have stayed in Bastrop for several months. They and others continue to build homes free of charge.

The Texas Forest Service says last year’s wildfire season was the worst in state history, destroying nearly 4 million acres. About 3,000 homes were lost. Ten people died.