Firefighter hurt while batting 250-acre brush fire in Parker County

A firefighter was injured while battling a large brush fire in southern Parker County.

The fire just south of Weatherford is one of at least two large fires that spread quickly Wednesday in the dry windy conditions. It quickly spread to more than 250 acres, consuming a brush truck and injuring a firefighter on board. He was taken to the hospital but should be fine.

Fire crews from surrounding cities have been battling the blaze most of the day into Wednesday night. Just before 5 p.m., crews said they were able to stop the forward progress of the fire.

The fire threatened five homes in the area and nearby livestock, but property owners were able to get most of the animals to safety.

“We just brought in a bunch of hay over here, and it looks like it's all gone,” Amber Franz, a nearby property owner. “We have some cows on ours that are leased on the property. They're all spoken for but one of them. I think there was a little pig that they were trying to catch a while ago. I don't know if they caught it.”

Ranch hand Trey Steward was among those quickly trying to move cattle out of the way.

"We took over there and just opened gates and started moving cattle off of grass," he said.

Dry conditions provided plenty of fuel for the fire to spread. The Texas A&M Forest Service brought out drones to the area to get a better assessment of how well the fire was contained.

The forest service also helped respond to a 500-acre wildfire in Erath County.

Saturday is expected to be another dangerous day for fires.