1,000 acre grass fire in Bosque County forces evacuations

MERIDIAN, Texas - 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.

Hydra Fire in Bosque County

What we know:

A large grass fire, dubbed the Hyrda Fire, has broken out in Bosque County, which lies 70 miles south-west of Fort Worth.

The Hydra Fire is currently at 1,000 acres and is only 10% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The fire began on September 14, but strong south winds caused the fire to jump containment lines and threaten nearby structures.

Local perspective:

The fire has forced evacuations in the city of Meridian. Residents were asked to take shelter at Meridian High School.

Close to 1,400 people live in Meridian, which lies around 70 miles south-west of Fort Worth.

Officials say the fire is 2 miles south of the city, south of County Road 1035 and west of Highway 6.

The Clifton Volunteer Fire Department says its Baptist church and civic center are open to Meridian residents who are evacuating.

Initially the evacuation order was for south-west Meridian, but the expansion of the fire caused the evacuation order to be expanded to the entire city.

The Bosque County Sheriff's Office says pets are welcome to shelter at the high school, and livestock can be taken to the Clifton Fair Grounds.

Officials rescinded the evacuation orders for parts of Meridian late on Tuesday evening. They warned that more evacuations could be necessary depending on how the fire spreads.

What's next:

Officials say they don't expect the fire to be contained until the end of the week.

WildfiresTexas