Evacuations lifted in part of Wise County as crews work to contain small grass fire

Evacuations in Wise County lasted for nearly five hours Wednesday as crews work to contain a small grass fire.

According to the Wise County Office of Emergency Management, evacuations were underway near Runaway Bay, about 85 miles northwest of downtown Dallas. The office said Runaway Bay police began evacuations a little before 3 p.m. on Port O Call Drive as the fire was moving northeast.

The Texas A&M Forest Service said the blaze, dubbed the Boones Creek Fire, covers 80 acres with 55% containment.

A little after 8 p.m., Wise County officials said residents in the evacuation area could return to their homes but urged them to be cautious as crews are still working in the area. Aircraft along with dozers and engine crews from nearby counties are on scene working to stop any further progression, said Adam Turner, a spokesman for the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Turner said about 5 p.m. that 15 structures were are threatened from the fire, but no damages have been reported. No information was immediately available on what caused the fire, he added.

Much of the Dallas-Fort Worth area is under a red flag warning, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. The dry vegetation combined with the high temperatures has made conditions favorable for extreme fire behavior, the weather service said.

“We are expecting some very-high to extreme fire danger for the next several days,” Turner said.

All of North Texas is under an excessive heat warning through 8 p.m. Thursday with high temperatures forecast in the triple digits.