AUSTIN - With wildfires ripping through Texas, Governor Rick Perry sent a letter to President Obama asking for a Major Disaster Declaration which would make federal funds available to deal with the massive fires.

Right now about 244 homes have been destroyed and 252 counties in Texas are threatened or impacted. Since the wildfire season started, 7,807 fires have sprung up across the state and more than 1,528,714 acres have burned.

"As wildfires continue to rage across our state, Texas is reaching its capacity to respond to these emergencies and is in need of federal assistance," governor Perry said in a statement.

To read the letter, visit: http://governor.state.tx.us/files/press-office/O-ObamaBarack20110416.pdf.