Bastrop , Texas ( CNN ) -- Firefighters southeast of Austin , Texas , battled strong winds Monday as they struggled to gain ground against a fast-moving wildfire that has so far scorched some 25,000 acres and destroyed close to 500 homes . Another fire in eastern Texas killed a mother and her 18-month-old child when flames engulfed their mobile home Sunday near Gladewater , the Gregg County Sheriff 's Department said . `` We got a long way to go to get this thing contained , '' Gov . Rick Perry said about the fire raging near Austin . `` I have seen a number of big fires in my life . This one is as mean looking as I 've ever seen . '' Dozens of fires are burning across the parched state , the Texas Forest Service said Monday . Earlier , the governor issued a statement in which he called the wildfire situation in Texas `` severe '' and said that all state resources were being made available to protect lives and property . `` We will pick up the pieces . We always do , '' he told reporters . Texas is battling its worst fire season in state history . A record 3.5 million acres -- an area roughly the size of Connecticut , Perry said -- have burned since the start of the season in November as hot and dry weather , coupled with a historic drought , made conditions ripe for rapid fire growth . `` It 's a very serious , scary situation , '' said Jan Amen , a Texas Forest Service spokeswoman . `` The drought has gone on so long -- it 's just bone dry . Anything that catches fire takes off . '' Over the weekend , officials said low relative humidity and strong winds from Lee , which made landfall as a tropical storm but then weakened , further fanned the flames . A red flag warning was in effect for much of east , south and central Texas on Monday , with wind gusts of up to 35 mph in places , according to the National Weather Service . A fire broke out about 45 miles north of Houston Monday afternoon . It was moving between 15 and 20 mph and threatening homes , said Rhonda Reinholz with the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department . Another fire burned in the Steiner Ranch subdivision in Travis County , forcing families out of their homes . Justin Allen evacuated from there with his five kids . Though he does not think the flames will reach their house , which is tucked near the back of the development , they are close enough to worry about , he said . `` It 's pretty scary , '' said Allen . `` And it 's really sad for everyone that 's in that path . '' The outbreak of wildfires prompted Perry to return to Texas from South Carolina , where he was scheduled to participate in a forum for Republican presidential candidates . The massive , uncontained fire in Bastrop County , near Austin , was the state 's largest Monday . It destroyed 476 homes , according to Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald , and threatened about 1,000 others , officials with the forest service 's incident management team reported . About 5,000 residents evacuated as flames approached , officials said . Lisa Ross learned she needed to leave her Bastrop home when her husband called 911 after realizing a looming fire had darkened the skies above . `` You learn what is valuable in life , and it is n't the stuff , '' she said . `` It 's people in your life , and what means something to you . '' Cars crammed with belongings and pets packed a gas station on a highway near Austin , attorney Jonathan A. Zendeh Del said . `` I 've lived in Texas almost all my life , and I 've never seen a fire that big in central Texas , '' he said . Officials issued a boil water notice for parts of Bastrop Monday . Dark clouds of smoke billowing across the sky could be seen miles from the fire . Satellite images Monday showed the fire stretching over about 25,000 acres , jumping the Colorado River and a highway , the Texas Forest Service said . More evacuations are likely as the fire spreads , officials said . Already , hundreds of people are in shelters as dangerous flames keep them from finding out whether their homes survived . `` We have been told already from three people that live in that area that our house has been burnt . I had a gut feeling that it did not , but now it 's looking worse and worse , '' said Gisele Vocal , an evacuee . `` We just have to wait now . '' Firefighters used Black Hawk helicopters to douse flames with a mixture of water and fire retardant Monday , officials said . The fire forced parts of state highways 71 and 21 to shut and additional road closures were expected . At least 63 new fires across Texas on Sunday burned nearly 33,000 acres , the state 's fire service said . Fires were reported in at least 17 counties . CNN 's Jim Spellman , Antoinette Campbell , Chris Welch , Paul Steinhauser , Shawna Shephard , Stephanie Gallman and Anna Gonzalez contributed to this report .
Another fire breaks out near Houston . Gov . Rick Perry says the fires are being fought by local firefighters and that he has asked for federal assistance. A fire southeast of Austin has destroyed close to 500 homes . Two people are killed in a separate , eastern Texas wildfire .