Grass fire torches Dallas-area homes

A grass fire apparently sparked by a mower swept about 300 yards across a tinder-dry open field to a suburban Dallas subdivision Monday, burning through wooden fences and torching as many as 20 homes, officials said. The blaze in Balch Springs was the latest in drought-stricken North Texas, which has been vulnerable to explosive wildfires for at least two weeks.
The mower was being used in the open field to trim the brush when its blade struck some debris and generated a spark that ignited the blaze, according to the local Fire Marshal. The fire spread quickly north from the shoulder of Interstate 20 to the subdivision about 4 p.m. Monday, causing varying degrees of damage to 14 to 20 homes before the flames were contained, an official said.There were no immediate reports of injuries.