PHOTOS | By Monday evening, the count showed 156 structures and almost 2,600 acres were subjected to the blowtorch of Texas Panhandle wind and wildfire Sunday and Monday just west and north of Fritch.

Earlier in the day, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter flew over the area for a survey of the charred landscape where some homes stood and others were ashes, and where there were reports of multiple exploding propane tanks, authorities said.

Revised estimates put the fire at only 65 percent contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service website. Forest Service Regional Coordinator Troy Ducheneaux said firefighters continued to deal with the fire his agency is calling the Double Diamond wildfire, going house-to-house in areas hit by the blaze to search for possible victims.

"We've got several areas we are addressing. We have broken the fire area into basically three different zones," he said. "The (National) Park Service area is taking care of their area of responsibility, and we have broken up the Fritch area into two different divisions. We've got two different crews working in those areas; they are addressing those hot spots.

"The plan for later today and into (Tuesday) is to continue to improve contingency lines with dozers we have in place that are working the areas to ensure that we get this thing totally wrapped up."

Earlier Monday, Fritch Police Chief Monte Leggett told some residents they probably won't be able to return to their homes until Tuesday morning at the earliest.

"We've got crews still in the area. They are mopping it up at this point. We've got a lot of hot spots. You know how yuccas and mesquite are. They don't want to go out," Leggett said. "Lake Meredith Harbor is still in full evacuation. No one in, no one out. The majority of the destruction was in the Lake Meredith Harbor subdivision."

About 2,100 people were evacuated from areas threatened by the fire overnight, Ducheneaux said.

They were housed in several shelters.

"It's really bad," said Danny Richards, Hutchinson County emergency management coordinator. "It looks like a war zone. It's a disaster."

The homes destroyed by the fire in Lake Meredith Harbor were a mix of mobile and traditional homes, Richards said.

Xcel Energy crews have disconnected power lines leading into the area.

"We have 452 premises or locations without power. All those customers are evacuated," said Xcel spokesman Wes Reeves. "Our guys are working with officials to go back in to make sure all the power is off."

The impact on power is limited to the area the fire swept through.

"Like with tornado restoration, if structures are down, they'll look at restoring the main feeders first, assess the other damage, and we'll bring in crews to rebuild," Reeves said. "With natural disasters that's fast, a couple of days. We have to prioritize what needs to be done first."

It is unclear when Xcel will be able to restore power to homes spared from the flames. The company has 95 employees staged to begin the work when the time comes.

"From a helicopter survey made this morning, we know we have between 100 and 200 poles destroyed by fire," Reeves said. "We ask that customers not wire emergency generators into their home's electrical system because backfeed into power lines could injure or kill a lineman working to get electricity restored."

Customers can use generators to power specific appliances like refrigerators.

Fritch Postmaster Laura Richardson said the post office is holding mail for residents who have been evacuated.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area personnel assisted in battling the gust-fueled blaze.

"We had everybody we have out. I'd say over a dozen fire personnel on engines, all our operations guys," said Lake Meredith Chief Ranger Paul Jones. "We had a little property damage. Fritch Fortress and Sanford Yake are closed, but Harbor Bay is catastrophic."

Around noon, park fire personnel were still working the fire.

"I've got two who worked all night getting some winks (sleep), but all my other folks are out," Jones said.

The fire broke out about 4 p.m. Sunday and prompted a response from about 25 different fire departments in a 165-mile radius. Richards said humidity that moved in through the night was helping, and firefighters hoped to have the fire completely contained sometime during the night.

The Randall County Fire Department brought two brush trucks, an engine and three command units.

"We went to assist with structure protection and helped mop up a flank area," said Deputy Chief Dennis Gwynn. "We got home about 3:30 this morning."

In addition, the department brought its Mobile Operations Center, which supports the incident command as a headquarters for communications for all emergency-response units involved.

The Operations Center remained on the scene Monday.

Potter County also sent crews.

"We initially sent five trucks with 10 people," said Potter Chief Richard Lake. "Later, we sent six trucks with 13 people to relieve them. They got back about 10 this morning."

The department is on call to relieve crews who remain on the scene where winds blasted flames through the neighborhoods.

"You could go by one time, and the houses were OK. When you went back, they were burning. You had to keep moving," Lake said.

The Amarillo Globe-News could not reach a spokesman for the Amarillo Fire Department on Monday but Jacob Oehlert, public information officer for the department, said on Sunday AFD was also responding to the fire.

A shift in winds Sunday evening caused emergency personnel to temporarily close Texas Highway 136 and all traffic through Fritch as the fire threatened to approach the city and smoke and dust lowered visibility to dangerous levels, DPS Trooper Christopher Ray said.

Officials dropped one mandatory evacuation and let residents of Sanford back into their homes after 11 p.m.

By 2 a.m., fire crews were attempting to complete a shift change to relieve firefighters who had been on duty the longest.

"Some of the firemen haven't slept in 30 hours," Richards said.

The Fritch area has multiple oil and natural gas operations from wells to compression stations and tank batteries.

"As I understand it, there have been no fires or explosions, no catastrophic damage associated with this," said Wayne Hughes, spokesman for Panhandle Producers and Royalty Owners Association, an oil and gas industry support group. "In the area that burned, most of the properties are in the hands of small operators."

Companies make preparations for emergencies like wildfires.

"All companies have emergency reaction procedures," Hughes said. "They notify emergency responders of their operations. If they have to curtail operations, they notify the (Texas) Railroad Commission."

Natural gas production is likely to be most affected by the fire.

"The majority of operations in that area are natural gas, so they're low to the ground and somewhat less vulnerable depending on how long the fire burns there," Hughes said. "But we don't know anything. Officials aren't letting anyone in. Hopefully by Wednesday we'll have a somewhat clearer picture."

The situation was serious enough to generate attention in Austin.

While Gov. Rick Perry's office did not respond to a request for comment, State Rep. Four Price said his office was working with Perry's staff.

"They are doing everything they can," said Price, R-Amarillo. "They are seeking the assistance available at this time, and we are waiting for some input from locals to make damage assessments before any reimbursements can be sought."