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Tarrant County grass fire sparked by construction crew
Firefighters say sparks from a construction crew started a large wildfire that burned more than 100 acres near Eagle Mountain Lake just northwest of Fort Worth. Strong winds and triple-digit heat helped fuel it.
SAGINAW, Texas - Several grass fires flared up across North Texas on Wednesday.
One in Tarrant County forced the evacuations of nearby neighborhoods.
Firefighters say sparks from a construction crew started a large wildfire that burned more than 100 acres near Eagle Mountain Lake just northwest of Fort Worth. Strong winds and triple-digit heat helped fuel it.
Wesley Cleveland’s family lives on 75 acres of land across the street from the fire. A section of his yard was burned. A neighbor alerted him.
"He said, ‘Y’all got a fire in front of your house. You need to get outside.’ And by the time I got outside, the fire department was already here," Cleveland said.
Tarrant County Fire Marshal Randy Renois says the grass fire was caused by a construction crew cutting rebar while working on underground cabling.
"And there were sparks, and it jumped the fence and started a fire down in the corner and it being up on this hill. The wind kind of caught it, and it took off this way," he said.
Three Texas A&M Forest Service fire boss planes each dropped 800 gallons of water on the fire. Bulldozers worked to create a containment line around the fire.
"They’re going to push and clear all of the grass and any kind of brush away from the fire’s edge," said Adam Turner with the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office evacuated dozens of people living nearby. Officials say it was out of an abundance of caution.
Severe heat made the job even more difficult for firefighters.
"You’ve got to rotate in and out. You’ve got to get some air conditioning, water," Turner said.
SKY 4 video shows the intensity of the smoke and flames.
Ultimately, 32 nearby homes and structures were saved, according to officials.
"But the fire department was here and had it contained before it was a problem," Cleveland said.
Cleveland, who grew up in this rural area of Tarrant County, says he has not seen a fire like this in decades.
"When I was a kid growing up out here, we had some fires. But back then, you fought them with tow sacks and a hose and hoped one fire truck showed up. Times have changed," he said.
The 184-acre fire has been 100% contained.