Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson says a grassland fire that broke out south of Alpine Thursday afternoon has been contained, following several flare ups this morning.
Dodson says the fire spread quickly across nearly 200 acres of grassland in the South Double Diamond area, north of the Border Patrol Station on Highway 118. Local volunteer fire departments and EMS from Alpine, Marathon, and Terlingua responded to the blaze, with assistance from Texas Forest Service planes that dropped fire retardant over the area.
Sheriff Dodson says flames came dangerously close to several homes on Hidden Valley Road, where residents were evacuated by law enforcement. No homes were damaged in the fire.
Officials are investigating the cause of the fire. Dodson believes it may have started in a fire pit at an area residence.
