HAWLEY, Texas – A 5,800-acre wildfire destroyed eight homes and forced the evacuation others in a rural area west of Dallas, authorities said Friday.
The blaze wasn't yet under control Friday, but it was about 50 percent contained, Texas Forest Service spokesman Nick Harrison said. Firefighters used bulldozers to dig up the ground and cut down grass and brush that helped fuel the fire.
No injuries have been reported and the cause was unknown, he said. The homes that burned down were scattered across a rural area near Hawley, a town of nearly 600 residents just northwest of Abilene, Harrison said.
Meanwhile, another wildfire blazed near Albany on Friday. The fire on the Shackleford-Throckmorton county line has burned 1,000 acres, Harrison said.
Abilene is about 175 miles west of Dallas, while Albany is about 150 miles west.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox