MANSFIELD — Two large grass fires in the Mansfield area caused concern but as of 3 p.m. today, no one had lost their homes and there were no reports of injuries.
A fire that began about noon in the 8300 block of Retta-Mansfield Road in unincorporated Tarrant County caused officials to call for the evacuation of several homes and triggered a helicopter water drop.Firefighters began letting people back in their homes about 3:45 p.m. while the power was still out at many homes and a large helicopter was still dropping water and flame retardant on a smoldering fire.Two streets remained closed in the area at 4 p.m. and Oncor was still attempting to restore power to houses in the area.Linda Lawson said she went into get her mother and saw officials as they told people living on Red Street that they should leave. As Lawson waited for the all-clear sign so they could go back home, a plume of thick black smoke rose up from another fire more than 10 miles away in the 4700 block of Shelby Street in unincorporated Tarrant County.The fire there started about 1 p.m. and threatened to jump the street where homeowners were standing out in their yards and spraying them down with hoses."My granddaughter was watching television and saw the fire, and then she called me and asked how close it was to my house," said Stoney Mullins, a 63-year old resident in the area. "I looked outside and realized it was in my neighbors back yard."Mitch Mitchell, 817-390-7752Staff writer Amanda Rogers contributed to this report.
