Most Texans do have a fireplace, actually. And the wiser ones will have gas logs installed. My house had a fireplace; and right before the big ice storm of 1992 hit (it put a coating of ice that was 2-3" thick on tree branches--magical but deadly) I insisted on gas logs. My spouse pissed and moaned about wasteful expenditure, but when we were out of power for 4 days, and had to sleep next to that fireplace to keep warm, the bitching stopped.