Van Zandt County residents being evacuated from fire areas

VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - According to the City of Van Fire Department, some residents are being evacuated due to the approach of fires to their homes.

At around 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Van Zandt County fire marshal said that an estimated 1,000 acres have burned in Van Zandt County.

Pictured below is the area of fire origin on FM 47 near VZCR 2120. The cause is undetermined but most likely started from a irresponsibly discarded cigarette or sparks from a vehicle dragging something like trailer chains, the fire marshal said.

There are several large fires currently working in Van Zandt County, the fire department says. An evacuation center is set up at Canton Intermediate School for victims from the grass fires, according to the South Van Zandt Fire Department.

They are located at Van Zandt County road 1518, Interstate 20 around the 523 mile marker, and U.S. Highway 80 near the Kaufman County line.

Van FD says multiple departments are working the fire, which is so far at about 100+ acres. They also said traffic in the area is being affected by smoke.

Be aware of emergency traffic throughout the county as mutual aid departments arrive to assist on these fires.