Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says he will sign a request for the federal government to declare Texas a major disaster area due to the rash of destructive wildfires.
Dewhurst, acting as the state's chief executive while Gov. Rick Perry was out of state, planned to sign the document on Wednesday afternoon.
Gov. Rick Perry left the presidential campaign trail and returned to the state earlier this week because of the fires, but on Wednesday he headed to California to participate in a GOP debate.
Dewhurst said Perry is "doing what he needs to be doing. I think we're in good shape."
Still, Dewhurst noted that firefighters were stretched thin and need additional resources, including bulldozers and other heavy equipment.
