Evacuation Order Lifted in Hood County as Wildfires Burn Across North Texas

Officials say a mandatory evacuation order issued because of a wildfire in North Texas has been lifted as the threat of fires remains high in the state due to hot temperatures, winds and drought conditions. 

Hood County lifted the order Tuesday night, hours after it was issued for a rural area south of Tolar due to the Chalk Mountain Fire.

Texas A&M Forest Services said the Chalk Mountain Fire has burned about nine square miles, destroyed at least a dozen structures and is about 10% contained. It was not clear how many of the structures were homes, Forest Services spokesperson Mary Leathers said.

Another fire at Possum Kingdom Lake has burned about 500 acres and at least five homes. No injuries have been reported. The National Weather Service issued a fire warning and excessive heat warnings for northern and central Texas and western and eastern Oklahoma for Wednesday.

County emergency management officials did not immediately return a phone call for comment early Wednesday.

No injuries have been reported as a result of either fire.

A combination of near-record and record temperatures approaching 110 degrees combined with breezes gusting as high as 30 mph and drought conditions leave the region ripe for fire, the forest service said.

Four other smaller fires remain active in Bosque County, Kaufman County and Lamar County.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Fire Warning and excessive heat warnings for northern and central Texas and western and eastern Oklahoma for Wednesday.

TEXAS WILDFIRE MAPS