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UPDATE: Crews continued to make progress on Thursday against the massive Bastrop County fire and finalized plans to deploy a converted DC-10 jetliner capable of dropping 12,000 gallons of retardant on the blaze. But there are still concerns about wind sparking flare-ups or fanning flames outside the area, the AP said.
Despite four days of exhaustive work to stamp out the wildfire burning across three counties north of Houston, it continues to rage and gain ground today.
Texas Forest Service reported the blaze had consumed at least 12,000 acres in Montgomery, Grimes and Waller counties, incinerated 75 structures and remained 60 percent contained.
In fact, most of the state's wildfires are now concentrated in East Texas.
"There were 176 fires burning in Texas on Wednesday and 120 of them were in East Texas," said Warren Bielenberg, Texas Forest Service spokesman. "Of 20 new fires in Texas on Wednesday, we found 19 of them in East Texas."
The leading edge of the fire near Houston began moving into the parched, dry forests of Waller County late Wednesday. Fire authorities have pulled out all the stops, using helicopters, bulldozers and all kinds of fire vehicles to fight the stubborn blaze.
But as the scope of the fires expanded, resources were being stretched too thin and reinforcements were being called in to help, authorities said.
That's why a "type one" incident management team was flown in from the West Coast today to manage the fire here, said Bielenberg.
"These teams are specially trained in handling complex situations," he said.
In addition, the U.S. Forest Service announced it is working with Texas officials to see if its aircraft, which includes a giant air tanker with a capacity for 12,000 gallons, can be of assistance along with various federal firefighters.
A flare up in Montgomery County was announced late this afternoon, and a voluntary evacuation was given for those living in the area of Shady Oaks Blvd south to Sandy Hill off of FM 1486 north of FM 1774. Fire crews are working to extingthish this fire and bring it under control.
Meanwhile, Houston school officials temporarily turned off the air-conditioning at Halpin Early Childhood Center, 10901 Sandpiper, because of outdoor smoke contamination. Crews have been sent to test the air quality there and other school facilities to see if similar action is needed.
Smoky conditions also caused the Lamar High School sub-varsity games set to take place in Brenham to be rescheduled, and the Jones High School versus Montgomery High School game for tonight to be canceled.
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 8,000 homes and businesses just east of the Texas Renaissance Festival grounds near Magnolia were under evacuation orders. The Riley Road fire, which started in Grimes County on Monday, has destroyed at least 80 homes and was about 80 percent contained, officials said.
Some residents in Montgomery County who fled their homes were allowed to return to their neighborhoods today.
Residents in the Ranch Crest subdivision could return to the area beginning at noon today, according to Montgomery County Emergency Management. They will need to provide identification.
People should be aware that no running water and electricity may be available and hazards - such as downed power lines, damaged utility poles, downed or charred trees as well as smoky air - are possible.
Officials said portions of the blaze in Montgomery County are about 85 percent contained while areas burning in Grimes County are about 60 percent contained.
Smoke from the wildfires north of Houston drifted above portions of the city this morning.
Northerly wind at about 10 mph pushed the smoke toward Houston, according to the National Weather Service. The smoky haze was draped above several areas, including southwest and west Houston as well as near the Galleria.
Ericka Mellon and Dale Lezon contributed to this report.
dale.lezon@chron.com
A wildfire burning in north-central Anderson County, Texas on September 4th, 2011
Parts of Texas have been scorched by sweeping  this week. Officials state that a wildfire which swept much of central Texas this week destroyed at least 1,400 homes and forced about 5,000 people to evacuate to safety. An official with the  told news sources on Thursday that much of that fire has been contained.

Officials have speculated that this fire alone has destroyed more homes than any other wildfire on record in the state. Officials are welcoming dropping temperatures, stating this will increase their ability to fight the fires effectively. A converted  aircraft was recently made available to fire authorities, but cannot be used until Friday as workers still need to time to prepare on-board equipment.
 
One of the two fatalities in the central part of the state has been identified as Michael Troy Farr, 49, who died at his home. Earlier in the week, a woman and her infant died in a related blaze that quickly engulfed their home located near the city of , located in the eastern part of the state. On Thursday, officials warned that East Texas has become the center of wildfire activity in the state.

At least 170 wildfires have ravaged much of the state over the past week. On Tuesday, a thick haze of smoke enveloped the city of Tyler for several hours, forcing school officials to cancel all outdoor sports activities. Since late 2010 the overall devastation of wildfires in the state is estimated to cost at least  in firefighting expenses. The state's Lieutenant Governor, , who is the acting governor in Governor Perry's absence, indicated he will ask the federal government to declare Texas a major disaster area. President Obama has also promised to provide needed assistance to local officials.