9 homes destroyed, 17 others damaged in Balch Springs grass fire
A fire that started in grass in Balch Springs on Monday destroyed at least nine houses and damaged 17 others, according to a WFAA-TV report attributed to city officials.
The fire erupted near Interstate 20 and South Beltline Road in the Spring Ridge neighborhood, the television station reported. Balch Springs is located about 15 miles southeast of Dallas.
No injuries have been reported, but an unknown number of residents have been displaced, according to WFAA.
The fire may have started when a person cutting grass at a field struck a metal object, causing sparks, WFAA reported, citing the Balch Springs city manager. WFAA is a media partner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The fire spread quickly to a subdivision about 4 p.m. Monday, causing varying degrees of damage to homes before the flames were contained Monday night, Balch Springs Fire Marshal Sean Davis told the Associated Press.
The American Red Cross is at the Balch Springs Recreation Center at 5372 Shepherd Lane. Residents can call 972-557-6090 for information.
More than 6,800 wildfires have ravaged nearly 600,000 acres of Texas so far this year, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Forest service officials and weather forecasters say Texas residents may need to be prepared for wildfires for weeks to come amid a severe drought. Hot temperatures, low humidity and the lack of rainfall are likely to plague the state for several months.
On Monday, state Forest Service firefighters responded to assist local authorities in battling seven new wildfires that burned approximately 118 acres.
The Chalk Mountain Fire near Glen Rose, in Somervell County, has burned more than 6,700 acres and was 20% contained Tuesday after crews ramped up their efforts over the weekend and Monday. That fire has destroyed 16 homes and damaged five.
Leaders of the Southern Area Blue, Type-I Incident Management Team told the AP they added 126 firefighters and extra fire engines and bulldozers to the 190 already clearing fire lines in Somervell County, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
The 1148 Fire, which started last week near Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County, covered 457 acres and was 100% contained Tuesday. The Possum Kingdom fire, about 80 miles west of Fort Worth, destroyed five homes, officials have said.
This story contains information from the Star-Telegram’s archives.
Current North Texas Wildfires
This map shows wildfires that have been updated within the past 7 days from the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN) and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The larger the circle, the larger the wildfire by acres. Data is from the US Department of the Interior, Office of Wildland Fire, IRWIN, NIFC, NASA, NOAA and ESRI.
Current Texas Wildfires
This map shows wildfires that have been updated within the past 7 days from the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN) and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The larger the circle, the larger the wildfire by acres. Data is from the US Department of the Interior, Office of Wildland Fire, IRWIN, NIFC, NASA, NOAA and ESRI.
