PALO PINTO COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – The 1148 Fire in Palo Pinto County, named for the road it’s located by on the west side of Possum Kingdom Lake, is about 10% contained as of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The estimated 500-acre fire started burning around noon yesterday and destroyed five homes and five outdoor structures. No one has been injured.
Crews are worried there is going to be an increase in fire activity today.
“The weather pattern that happened yesterday, where this fire grew so large so quickly, is happening again today,” said Adam Turner with the Texas A&M Forest Service. “Anything that’s out here that’s fuel – plants, burnable material, wood – are all going to be exceptionally dry already, and it’s going to continue to dry out as it gets hotter and drier, which is going to lead to more fires and the potential for larger growth.”
The area is now under a voluntary evacuation. Last night, it was mandatory.
“It just keeps you out of harm’s way and lets us focus more on protecting your structures because we’re not worried about having to protect your lives,” Turner said.
Crews from departments across the state have been working to knock out hotspots and keep the fire contained.
Firefighters aren’t sure yet what caused this fire, but Turner says 90% of wildfires in Texas are started by people.
“So be careful with sparks. Be careful with any type of fire if you’re outside. Follow burn bans,” he said. “Help us lower the number of fires that we have so that we can have the time to recuperate and really handle what’s out here.”
Turner says the fire season in Texas is getting longer and longer. The Texas A&M Forest Service predicts a higher-than-average amount of fires into at least October of this year.