Officials traced the Pauline Road wildfire, a more-than-2,000 acre blaze that broke out Wednesday evening in Sam Houston National Forest, to a controlled burn conducted on a nearby property. Josh Mizrany,

Prescribed burns are regularly conducted by fire specialists in Texas forests in an effort to clear ground-level foliage and maintain healthy landscapes. The burns are a cost-effective way to reduce fuel loading in the event of a large-scale wildfire.

A preliminary investigation revealed the cause of the wildfire along Pauline Road in Montgomery and San Jacinto Counties can be attributed to a prescribed burn.

Map: Texas wildfires continue to spread, prompting evacuations in San Jacinto and Montgomery counties as firefighters tackle blazes across the state.

Wildfires fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds burned in a few Southern states Thursday, forcing evacuations in Texas and prompting Florida officials to close part of a major highway with spring break in high gear.