Officials battle grass fire at Cedar Hill State Park that forced road closure

Multiple fire departments are responding Wednesday night to a grass fire at Cedar Hill State Park, authorities said.

The blaze forced authorities to close FM 1382 for almost three hours in both directions, Cedar Hill police said about 5:45 p.m. It covers 10 acres and is 25% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The southbound lanes of the roadway reopened but the northbound lanes toward Grand Prairie remain closed, police said in an update a little before 8 p.m. Cedar Hill police said the northbound section will remain closed for “an unknown amount of time” and advised motorists heading to Grand Prairie to take Mansfield Road or Highway 67 to Interstate 20.

Alison Ream, assistant city manager for the city of Cedar Hill, said multiple agencies, including units from Cedar Hill, Dallas, Ovilla and Grand Prairie, are responding to the scene.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans confirmed the department assisted along FM1382 about 4:30 p.m.

“We are providing multiple emergency resources, to include Engines (7), Trucks (2), Boosters (3), Rescues (4) and a Trail unit,” Evans said in a written statement

The Texas A&M Forest Service responded to the scene and brought engine crews and heavy equipment resources, said Adam Turner, an agency spokesman. The agency also brought two large air tankers that dropped fire retardant on the blaze.

“Those retardant drops pretty much stopped forward progress of that fire and really allowed the local resources from Dallas County to put a handle onto it until our heavy equipment got there,” Turner said.

Heavy equipment from the forest service is on scene constructing containment lines around the fire, Turner said.