500 acres burned during Possum Kingdom blaze

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - People have evacuated Possum Kingdom State Park as two wildfires burn on the west side of Possum Kingdom Lake.

The fires are located near the area of FM 1148 and Hawkins Road, according to reports from the Possum Kingdom Lake Reporter. As of Wednesday morning, about 500 acres of land had burned. The fire is 15 percent contained, according to the Texas A & M Forest Service. The TAMFS deployed fire suppression aircraft in the area to help contain the fire.

“It’s a one way in and a one way out,” Chad Jordan from the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office stated.

Many are boarding boats to escape the blaze, according to the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office. People are no longer able to safely evacuate by road.

The evacuation is voluntary. Around 50 homes were evacuated and the fire has destroyed five homes and five outbuildings.

A shelter for those affected by the fire has been set up at the Westlake Chapel in Graham.

The Possum Kingdom area is also experiencing power outages, according to Tony Ramirez with the Eliasville Volunteer Firefighter Department. Over 200 people were without power in the Possum Kingdom area when the blaze started, according to the storm center for Oncor.

Many authorities have responded to the fire, including the Texas A & M Forest Service, the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, the Possum Kingdom West and East fire departments and first responders from Mineral Wells, Stevens County and Young County.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

We will continue to update this story.

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