FORT WORTH, Texas -- Residents and fire officials are beginning to survey the damage from Tuesday's wildfires. High winds and an extremely low humidity level of 8 percent helped fuel the fires across North Texas.

Although some homes were spared from grass fires in affected areas, many are still vulnerable as small fires continue to flare up.

Firefighters are monitoring hot spots and are working from staging areas to decrease response time. Officials said that a small flare-up can get out of control in a matter of minutes.

In Tuesday's fires, hundreds of acres were scorched across North Texas and more than 50 homes destroyed.

One home in Colleyville on Lowrie Road was a total loss, even as neighbors tried to put out the fire.

"If I was here I would've tried like my neighbors. They tried to put it out ... there was a couple of people with hoses, but it just went so quick and fast," said Colleyville resident Gerald LeBlanc.

Firefighters were able to keep the Colleyville fire from spreading, but were still putting out hot spots six hours later.

One of the hardest hit areas in Tuesday's fires is in Hood County. More than two dozen homes in Granbury were destroyed and many residents spent the night at a local church that was turned into a Red Cross shelter.

The Hood County grass fires forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes while they watched and waited to see where the fire would go.

Four firefighters in Granbury were hurt while fighting the fires and three in Arlington were treated for smoke inhalation. The condition of the Granbury firefighters is not known.

In Johnson County, 45 fires were reported before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Several departments were called to help keep the small grass fires from spreading.

Residents across the Metroplex are being cautioned to strictly follow the outdoor burn ban and to not burn trash or launch fireworks in celebration of the new year.

Although lower temperatures and lighter winds will help the wildfire problem, officials said, that rain is really the only hope for relief from the fire threat.

Elsewhere, on Wednesday the 5,000-acre Walnut Bend fire near the Oklahoma border was still burning. It destroyed eight to 20 homes plus numerous outbuildings. One woman was killed when she was overrun by fire while trying to wet down her yard, according to the governor's division of emergency management.

An 800-acre fire on the Bosque-Somervell County Line also was still burning. Several outbuildings were lost, but no homes had been destroyed.

The 30-acre Canyon Creek fire in Hood County was mostly out by Wednesday morning. Firefighters were working to keep smoldering debris from reigniting or sending up sparks. Twelve firefighters suffered smoke inhalation battling that blaze.

Fires that destroyed or damaged buildings were contained in Wise, Collin, Eastland, Anderson, Hamilton and Victoria counties.