A large fire in Perry County is forcing people to evacuate their homes near Casa on Monday afternoon.
Dalton Tyner with the Perry County Sheriff's Office said the fire has become a forest fire. Tyner said "several hundred acres" were involved, but local news stations citing the Arkansas Forestry Commission are reporting an estimated area between 60 and 80 acres.
Authorities on the scene have moved their command post to Adona city hall. Adona is 10 minutes west of Casa.
The Forestry Commission did not immediately return calls from Arkansas Online.
Chad Stover with the Department of Emergency Management said the fire is threatening an unknown number of homes and farmland in the Rose Creek community, but the agency has not yet received a complete report from Perry County officials.
Stover added that the sheriff's departments from Yell and Conway counties have been called in to assist in the evacuation of Casa, going door-to-door to let residents know of the situation. Stover did not yet know whether the evacuations were mandatory or voluntary.
Authorities on the scene have also contacted the Red Cross and have them on standby in case a shelter is needed.
Forestry Commission crews are on scene to detain the fire, Stover said. He did not know how many homes were being forced to evacuate.
Read more about this story in tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.