Dallas, April 18 (CNN) — Texas authorities have made an arrest in connection with one of hundreds of blazes scorching the state in what a Forest Service official called the “perfect storm for wildfires.” … Firefighters are battling some of the driest conditions Texas has seen in nearly a century. April Saginor, a spokeswoman with the Texas Forest Service, said crews were having difficulty getting hundreds of blazes under control due to a rare combination of strong winds, unseasonably warm temperatures, and low humidity. Conditions this spring are the driest they’ve been in Texas since 1917, she said. Authorities have responded to 7,807 fires across more than 1.5 million acres since this year’s wildfire season began, Gov. Rick Perry wrote in a letter late Saturday to President Barack Obama. Perry requested that the federal government declare Texas a disaster area. Fires have affected all but two of the state’s 254 counties. On Sunday, some 1,300 personnel representing 34 states were on the front lines battling these fires. Barring a drastic and sustained change in conditions, Saginor said she expects the fight to continue for several months more. “We’re looking at this as a marathon, not a sprint,” she said. “We’re very committed to this.” To that end, Perry’s request to federal authorities — which he made late Saturday and announced Sunday — was an attempt to expedite federal assistance. “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary,” the governor wrote in his letter to Obama. …

Arrest made in connection with Texas wildfire near Austin