WHEELER, Texas—Firefighters continued to make progress Monday controlling a 15,000-acre wildfire that destroyed homes and forced the evacuation of residents in this small Texas Panhandle town.

The fire near Wheeler, now being worked by only local fire departments, was 75 percent contained Monday as wind speeds diminished.

“Unless something bad happens with horrific winds, the fire is in good shape,” Texas Forest Service spokesman Lewis Kearney said. “Today is almost a day of reprieve. It’s almost a day our guys can work on equipment to get ready for later this week.”

Officials are assessing damage and loss of livestock from the weekend fire that forced the evacuation of the town of about 1,300. Residents returned and power was restored Sunday afternoon, Kearney said.

Several new fires broke out across the state Monday. Three homes and four other buildings were destroyed in a fire in Gregory, which is located in San Patricio County across the bay from Corpus Christi. R.J. Thomas, deputy fire chief for Ingleside’s fire department, said in a story for the online edition of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that the buildings weren’t occupied. The San Patricio County Sheriff’s Office said the fire in Gregory was out late Monday.

New fires also were reported on Monday in Anderson, Hardin, Tyler, Marion, Taylor, Brooks and Kleberg counties, according to the Texas Forest Service. The largest appeared to be about 200 acres.

Fire officials say the outlook gets worse later in the week. Thursday, all of Texas will be under critical wildfire danger when low humidity and high winds are forecast, Kearney said.

Meanwhile, a 2,170-acre wildfire in Jack County was about 90 percent contained Monday. More than a dozen households were evacuated Saturday night but were allowed to return home about midnight.

“That one got away from us twice when we thought we were in good shape,” Kearney said.

Considerably smaller fires in Jeff Davis, Shackelford and Nolan counties were all at least 90 percent contained by Monday.