The fire started around 1 p.m. on Saturday near 8700 Lower Crabapple Road, about 11 miles north of downtown Fredericksburg and then travelled east across Highway 16 North due to prime conditions for wildfires in the region, including high winds.

Fire crews in Gillespie County and Texas A&M Forest Service are continuing to battle the large blaze that began Saturday at around 1 p.m.

A wildfire in Gillespie County that prompted evacuations Saturday grew to more than 8,600 acres by the evening, according to an update from the Texas A&M Forest Service. READ MORE:

Additional wildfire threats are imminent for the southern Plains. New rounds of critical fire weather are in the forecast for the central United States this week, days after devastating wildfires sparked in Oklahoma and Texas late last week and through the weekend.

Wildfire risk returns to Oklahoma for Monday and Tuesday

Local meteorologists forecast more heavy winds to hit central and southwest Oklahoma. After last week's events, experts caution Oklahomans to stay safe.

Aaron Ward, a meteorologist with the Weather Service office in Amarillo said visibility was “nearly zero” in the greater Amarillo region. The Texas Department of Public Safety said it was responding to multiple crashes across the region because of low visibility from clouds of dust.

A red flag warning has been issued for South Texas on Monday, and an even higher fire threat is expected by the middle of the week.

Wildfires in Oklahoma have destroyed over 400 homes and killed four people, with officials warning of increased fire danger in the coming days.