Firefighters in Texas have made progress against the state’s most serious blaze: The Bastrop fire, which has destroyed 800 homes near Austin, is 30 percent contained, according to the Austin American Statesman. Rescue workers have also begun house-by-house searches for victims; so far, the death toll has stayed put at two. President Obama also phoned Texas Governor Rick Perry, who was in California for the Republican debate, to pledge federal help with recovery.
