Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency on Thursday morning after massive wildfires burned more than 4,200 acres in Central Texas, forcing the evacuation of 400 homes.

During a news conference, Abbott declared a state of emergency in wake of the Bastrop County wildfire, which ignited Tuesday morning in Smithville, which is close by Buescher State Park and about 45 miles east of Austin, reports the San Antonio Express-News. The cause of the blaze is unknown.

"We grieve for the families and the homeowners who are displaced by this. This has to be an echo of a nightmare that they faced just a few years ago," said Gov. Abbott at the conference while referring to the deadly blazes of 2011, reports NBC DFW. "So far we have been very fortunate in this fire in that no person has lost their life. We want to conclude this fire by being able to say the same thing."

The fire is currently only 15 percent contained, but state officials warned residents that it could easily expand. This occurred early Wednesday when the Hidden Pines Fire was believed to have only damage about 375 acres. However, an aerial survey found that the estimate had quadrupled in size. Then, by late Wednesday night, the fire was estimated to have burned more than 2,000 acres.

Officials say that the blaze is being fueled by unseasonably hot weather and gusty and shifting winds. Although the winds on Thursday raised potential for the fire to spread, the gusts were heading in the opposite direction of the county's most populated areas.

Nonetheless, Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape remained optimistic,

"There will be victory. It may be a day or two, it may be longer depending on the weather, but we will win this," he said. "We've done this before. We know what we're doing. It just takes time."