Hydra Fire in North Texas forces evacuations as firefighters work to build containment lines
Wildfire threats homes in Meridian
There are several wildfires burning in North Texas right now. The Hydra Fire in Bosque County threatened homes in the city of Meridian on Tuesday. That order is now lifted for some residents.
CLIFTON, Texas - Firefighters are still battling three wildfires in different areas of North Texas.
While the largest is the devastating Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack counties, a new fire that broke out in Bosque County earlier this week has forced some evacuations.
Hydra Fire
What we know:
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Hydra Fire in Bosque County started on Monday and has now burned about 1,000 acres of land and is still only 28% contained.
On Tuesday afternoon, gusty winds fueled the flames and forced the evacuation of the entire city of Meridian.
While that order was lifted for some residents on Tuesday night, they were told to be ready to leave their homes again if needed.
By late Tuesday night, officials said crews had stopped the spread of the fire before it reached the city. Those crews remained on scene overnight monitoring hot spots.
1,000 acre grass fire in Bosque County forces evacuations
Residents in Meridian, a city 70 miles south of Fort Worth, were under a mandatory evacuation order due to a 1,000 acre grass fire in Bosque County.
What they're saying:
Fire officials said when it’s this hot outside, water hoses don’t do enough to stop the spread.
"So, we’ve pulled aircraft from different areas of the state to try to combat this fire, to cool the head of it down so that we can get some heavy equipment in there. At this time the fire is so intense we can’t get ahead of it. So, we’re looking at getting farther out ahead and using some natural barriers to try to get it stopped," said Kiley Moran wit the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The crews hope to use roads and fields to build containment lines.
The fire may not be fully contained until the end of the week, officials said.
Hydra Fire tracker: Latest acreage, containment and map
The Hydra Fire in Texas is a wildfire that started in Bosque County on Monday, south of the town of Meridian.
What you can do:
Resources have been set up at the civic center in the nearby city of Clifton to help the affected Meridian residents.
The First Baptist Church in Clifton has also been opened for anyone who was forced to evacuate.
Ross Fire
Firefighters monitor hot spots as Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County reaches 91% containment
Texas A&M Forest Service reports four active wildfires in North Texas, including the 600-acre Hydra Fire in Bosque County and the 90,400-acre Ross Fire.
The massive Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack counties has been burning for weeks and has consumed more than 90,000 acres of land.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, it is now 93% contained and mostly burning behind containment lines.
Red Bank Fire
Firefighters began battling the Red Bank Fire in Parker County on Tuesday afternoon.
The flames were quite intense for a while, whipping through grass and trees at a fast pace. Images from SKY 4 also showed the flames swirling and getting close to several structures.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said the fire, which burned about 207 acres, is now 70% contained.
Parker County grass fire 70% contained after threatening structures
Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters are responding to the Red Bank Fire in Parker County, which has burned 5 acres and threatened structures with no containment or cause details known yet.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Texas A&M Forest Service, Meridian and Clifton city officials, and past news coverage.