The Texas A&M Forest is calling for mandatory evacuations in Palo Pinto county as the Storage fire continues to spread.
The Storage fire just south of Possum Kingdom Lake near highway TX-16 began Wednesday afternoon.
Adam Turner with the forest service said evacuations are in place for the Gaines Bend, Sportsman's World, and Hell's Gate communities.
As of Friday morning, the fire burned about 1000 acres and was 30% contained, according to the service.
Turner said firefighters are using bulldozers, aircraft and engines to help put out the fire. He also said there is a no-fly zone in the area.
"It is important for everyone to remember that if you fly, we can’t," Turner said in an emailed statement.
Turner confirmed that while there are no injuries reported so far, there was some structure damage at an outbuilding Thursday afternoon.
The Storage fire was one of about four fires that started on Wednesday as the ongoing heatwave increases the risk of wildfires across the state.
At least 59 counties in Texas have a burn ban in effect, the service said. It also noted that the risk of wildfires is expected increase throughout the state including in the Cross Timbers, Central Texas and Western Pineywoods regions this week as a result of triple-digit temperatures and drier air.
Palo Pinto County is currently under high fire danger until Saturday. Turner said travelers should be aware of the plume of smoke near Possum Kingdom Lake, which is a popular destination spot for the holiday weekend.
He noted that 90% of fires are started by humans.
"This can be caused by fireworks, by tires blowing out on the highway, by chains being dragged on trailers or vehicles," Turner said. "All of these can start fires and whenever the fires start, we're going to require resources, the more resources that are required, it's taking away from other fires and with less resources, it's more likely the fires will grow to a larger size like this."
The cause of the Storage fire is still under investigation but it is believed to have been human caused.
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