Brush fire destroys apartment building in U.S. Texas

HOUSTON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A brush fire has burnt about 50 acres as of early Wednesday in Cedar Park, a suburban city north of Austin, Texas, destroying an apartment building while damaging three others, officials said.

An apartment complex, 95 townhomes and nearby businesses were ordered to evacuate Tuesday night, according to a news release from Cedar Park police. One minor was reportedly injured.

Most of the 11 active fires across Texas, including the one in Cedar Park, were largely contained on Wednesday, said a Texas Tribune report.

Texas A&M Forest Service, which monitors wildfire conditions in the state, raised the preparedness level to its second-highest rating this week, citing a surge in fire activity as hot temperatures and dry conditions continue.

"Critical fire weather is forecast for regions of the state where vegetation has been primed by persistent hot and dry weather over the past six weeks," the forest service said on Wednesday. According to the service, at least 8,500 acres of land have burnt across the state since Aug. 1.

However, wildfires in Texas so far have been milder than in previous years, said the Texas Tribune report, noting that more than 538,000 acres had burnt by this time last year in Texas, and by comparison, just 55,000 acres have burnt this year.