Forecast is a mixed bag for Texas firefighters

By the CNN Wire Staff STORY HIGHLIGHTSForecaster: Higher humidity could help fight against wildfiresBut high winds could counteract the advantage, meteorologist saysWeekend thunderstorms could also bring threat of fire-sparking lightningFires have burned more than 1.4 million acres since January 1 Dallas (CNN) -- Hundreds of firefighters from across the United States faced a mixed forecast Friday in Texas as they continued to battle fires that have burned across more than 1.4 million acres of the state.

While higher humidity forecast for Friday could help slow the fires' advance, higher winds -- up to 25 miles per hour -- that are also in the forecast could also fan the flames, said Jennifer Dunn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

The PK Complex of fires burning west of Fort Worth continues to threaten hundreds of homes around the Possum Kingdom Lake, Caddo, Strawn, and Bunger communities, where more than 100 homes have been destroyed.

The largest fire, the 202,150-acre Rockhouse fire near Fort Davis was 75 percent contained as of Thursday night, according to the latest update provided by the Texas Forest Service.

Other fires include the 158,867-acre Wildcat fire north of San Angelo which was 30 percent contained as of Thursday night, and the Cooper Mountain Ranch fire in Kent, Stonewall, Scurry and Fisher counties. That 162,625-acre fire was 90 percent contained, the Forest Service said.

Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and rain helped firefighters make some advances Thursday, but thunderstorms in the forecast for the weekend could actually do more harm than good, forecasters warned.

Thunderstorms bring the threat of lightning, which can ignite new fires, Dunn said. They also may not bring enough rain to quench the dry ground and vegetation in Texas, which is undergoing an historic drought.

"If the storms are slow-moving and drop a lot of rain in some areas that would be beneficial," Dunn said. "But, if we're talking about scattered or isolated storms that are moving at a pretty good clip, they're not going to provide much help in this case."

West Texas averages nearly 15 inches of rain a year, according to David Hennig, a meteorologist in Midland. Over the past six months, just 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.

Friday marked the first day of a "Days of Prayer for Rain" proclamation issued by Gov. Rick Perry.

Perry's resolution urges "Texans of all faiths and religious traditions" to pray for "an end to this ongoing drought and these devastating wildfires."

CNN's Matt Cherry contributed to this report.

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