Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in Texas by out-of-control wildfires.

More than 60 separate fires have been reported.

Texas is suffering its worst drought in decades. The parched earth has fueled the fires, worsened by winds from Tropical Storm Lee which came ashore Sunday in the bordering state of Louisiana.

Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is seeking the Republican Party's presidential nomination, cut short a campaign visit to South Carolina and returned to the state on Monday to oversee the fire-fighting efforts.

The state has deployed aircraft, including four heavy tanker planes, to combat the fires.

The worst blaze, near Austin, the state capital, stretches for more than 25 kilometers.