Crews continue to battle Palo Pinto County wildfire

Firefighters on Thursday continued to battle a large wildfire burning 70 miles west of Fort Worth in Palo Pinto County.

The Surprise Fire started Monday in rural land and it has grown to nearly 4,500 acres since. It was 45 percent contained as of Thursday afternoon.

Much of the work on the fire’s front lines has been focused on holding the fire in check. The area’s rugged terrain has made that difficult. That’s why firefighters have turned to airplanes to drop retardant on the fire and slow its advance. Other spots are sprayed with water dropped from large buckets suspended from helicopters.

About 100 firefighters are on scene. They’re working 12 hours shifts before they’re rotated out. In addition to the fire, they’re also battling temperatures that have hit as high as 106 degrees.

"We're running multiple shifts day and night to make sure everybody is getting time off time to sleep and rest and recoup before coming back out the next day," Steven Moore of the Texas A&M Forest Service said.

The firefighters come from various agencies across Texas.

A lightning strike on Sunday is believed to be the fire’s impetus. Authorities say it smoldered for several hours before the hot, dry winds fanned the flames and caused the fire to grow.