What to know
- Fire destroyed nine homes and possibly damaged a dozen more.
- No injuries were reported to residents or firefighters.
- The fire is believed to have started after the mowers hit rocks and threw sparks that set the grass on fire. Workers reported the fire to the Balch Springs Fire Department.
A major grass fire spread to a Balch Springs neighborhood Monday afternoon, destroying at least nine homes and possibly damaging up to 12 others, officials say.
The fire is believed to have started when workers struck debris while mowing a large field on the northwest corner of Interstate 20 and South Belt Line Road. The fire then spread to an adjacent neighborhood where it first burned fences and then spread to homes along the 14700 block of Broadview Drive.
Fire Marshal Shawn Davis of Balch Springs told NBC 5 that the work crew reported the fire and his department responded with their one and only brush truck. Davis said the fire department only has eight firefighters during the day and has received help from a number of nearby departments.
Davis said there are 14 buildings with fire damage confirmed and there may be as many as 20 with some form of damage. The Texas Sky Ranger shows that nine houses have been completely destroyed by the fires.
Firefighters evacuated a series of houses along Broadview Drive and Bell Manor Court, not far from Mackey Elementary School, when a series of houses caught fire.
No injuries have been reported.
The American Red Cross is working with Balch Springs Emergency Management to make arrangements for the families displaced by the fire. The Balch Springs Recreation Center is open and available to those affected by the fire.
Firefighters with a number of area divisions assist Balch Springs in battle, including Dallas, Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Seagoville, and Dallas County.
Please come back and refresh this page for the latest information. NBC 5’s Meredith Yeomans and Ken Kalthoff and Telemundo 39s Olivia Martinez contributed to this report.