Wildfire Near Lindale Now Contained

LINDALE – A controlled burn just west of Lindale got out of control Tuesday afternoon. It has now been contained to seven acres. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said the fire spread to high stacks of plastic tree tubs, causing the black smoke seen throughout the county. The fire crossed the property line into a pine thicket, which slowed the wind and the fire. A plow line is around the fire, but it will continue to smolder for hours. Some firefighters will be monitoring it throughout the night.

The Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office was dispatched shortly after 2:00 Tuesday afternoon. Five fire departments along with the Texas Forestry Service were pressed into service to battle the fire, which was fed by shifting winds. Wasson is urging residents to refrain from burning during high winds. If a controlled burn gets out of control and crosses property lines, you can be charged with reckless destruction of property and be ordered to pay for property damage.