Texas wildfire prompts evacuations as Arkansas and Florida also battle
blazes
[March 21, 2025]
By JIM VERTUNO, FREIDA FRISARO and ANDREW DeMILLO
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Wildfires fueled by dry conditions and gusting
winds burned in a few Southern states Thursday, forcing evacuations in
Texas and prompting Florida officials to close part of a major highway
with spring break in high gear.
A wildfire in Sam Houston National Forest near Houston prompted the
evacuation of about 900 homes and closed schools. The National Weather
Service issued elevated fire warnings around the nation’s fourth-largest
city.
The fire burned about 3.7 square miles (9.6 square kilometers) and was
only about 20% contained Thursday afternoon as firefighters used
water-carrying helicopters to douse hot spots and bulldozers to dig
containment lines, the Texas A&M Forest Service said.
Investigators believed the fire was started Wednesday by what was
supposed to be a controlled burn on private property, said Josh Mizrany,
assistant chief law enforcement officer with the Texas A&M Forest
Service.
Investigators will look into how the fire spread, he said, and evidence
could be turned over to local prosecutors if necessary.
Officials had not reported widespread damage or any injuries. Montgomery
County officials said they knew of one home that burned to the ground.
The Cleveland Independent School District, which has about 12,000
students, canceled classes as a precaution.
Florida fires
In the Florida Keys, a large brush fire that began Tuesday caused
authorities to close the two roads leading in and out of the island
chain, because of smoky conditions and to allow firefighters to move
equipment.
Officials said the fire had burned about 34 square miles (88 square
kilometers) and was about 20% contained.
Spring break is in full swing in Florida, and officials said U.S. 1, the
major thoroughfare that connects the mainland to the islands, was
expected to have intermittent closures in the coming days. It is also a
heavily traveled road for people who live on the mainland and work at
many of the hotels and restaurants in Key Largo and beyond.
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A helicopter carries water to battle the Pauline Road wildfire
Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J.
Phillip)
Arkansas blazes
In Arkansas, crews responded to nearly than 100 fires Wednesday that
were fueled by high winds and were dealing with five new ones
Thursday.
The fires closed several highways, including a portion of Interstate
530 southeast of Little Rock due to heavy smoke.
Flames damaged structures in several cities, including Little Rock.
The roof collapsed at St. Joseph’s, a 115-year-old building in North
Little Rock that once served as an orphanage and is now the home of
a nonprofit that provides urban farming resources.
What's causing the fires?
The South has experienced recent cold and dry conditions, followed
by gusting winds, that have fanned the flames.
Texas has seen fire hazards range from the far northern Panhandle,
where ground vegetation froze and dried out, and push hundreds of
miles east to the coast.
South Florida has seen every little rainfall over the past few
weeks. The rainy season doesn't start until sometime around mid-May.
Another cold front with dry air is expected to push through South
Florida on Thursday night, said meteorologist Donal Harrigan with
the National Weather Service in Miami.
Red Flag warnings
The weather service issued Red Flag warnings for fire conditions in
east Texas and South Florida and could extend them for several days.
Red flag warnings are issued by the National Weather Service when
conditions are ripe for fires. In southeast Texas, weather service
officials predicted wind gusts of 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers
per hour), combined with humidity as low as 18%. That combination
will continue to dry out vegetation.
___
Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and DeMillo reported
from Little Rock, Arkansas.
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