Fast-spreading wildfire forces evacuation in Texas

Austin, Sep 2

A fast-spreading wildfire near Huntsville, in US state of Texas, triggered evacuation and a highway closure, according to the emergency authorities.

Texas A&M Forest Service posted on social media that it was responding to a request for assistance in Walker County on the "Game Preserve Fire," an estimated 100 acres (0.4 square km), at 4:21 p.m. local time. Around 9:30 p.m., the service updated that the fire had grown to an estimated 1,200 acres (4.85 square km) and was about 10 per cent contained, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Walker County Office of Emergency Management asked everyone within 4.83 km of Lost Indian Camp Road to evacuate and announced the 10.5 km stretch of highway FM247 was closed both lanes from Pinedale Road to FM2989.

Over 12 active wildfires were monitored by the Texas Forest Service on Friday night, according to its website. Local media warned the risk of wildfires was expected to remain high through the US Labor Day weekend.

The forest service said, "Persistent triple-digit temperatures and minimal rainfall over the past two months have resulted in extremely dry vegetation across the state, which increases the likelihood of dangerous wildfires."

Huntsville, the county seat of Walker County, is located around 70 miles (113 km) north of Houston, the largest city in the US state of Texas.

Since June 28, the Texas A&M Forest Service and local fire departments have responded to over 2,125 wildfires burning more than 89,700 acres (363 square km), according to the state governor's office.