MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — A handful of residents were forced to evacuate their homes on Monday afternoon after a fast-moving grass fire started along U.S. Highway 67 and 9th Street in Midlothian.
The fire didn't harm any homes in the Northridge neighborhood, and fire crews contained the blaze before the evening.
However, crews were still monitoring the area for hot spots Monday night.
The grass fire happened as drought conditions worsen. Per the National Weather Service, DFW has had 38 straight days without measurable precipitation as of July 11.
The record was 40 straight days set in 2019, with more 100-plus-degree days ahead for the region.
"The climate conditions, the way they are right now, makes the probability for grassfires really, really bad," Batallion Chief Matt Goleman said.
"This was a high-risk fire because we have a neighborhood close by. Within a few minutes, the wind picked up, the fire changed directions, got in the tree line, and we've got houses 100 yards north of there."
Several homes along Sunset Drive had to be evacuated, including Kevin Swain's.
He was building a deck with his family in his backyard when an officer knocked on his door and asked him to grab some essential items and leave.
"I was like 'holy cow,'" Swain said. "We all had to get in our cars and zoom away."
"As we're driving off, I'm like are we going to come back to our house?"
The fire was contained, but the phrase "home sweet home" meant a little more to Swain after he and his family were allowed to return.
"We were glad to come back," Swain said.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.