NEAR ALAMO – A 325-acre grass fire burning south of the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is 100 percent contained, according to refuge officials.

The Alamo Fire Department, San Juan Fire Department, Pharr Fire Department and Donna Fire Department battled the fire overnight and managed to control it by 70 percent. 

Rob Jess, the project manager at the refuge, says gates will remain closed Thursday and Friday to ensure the safety of their visitors.

According to Weylan Luckey, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer, the fire started in Mexico. He says at some point, an ember crossed the Rio Grande due to high winds and landed on the refuge, igniting a fire in the U.S. side.

The center is asking people to stay away as crews work to extinguish the grass fire. A CHANNEL 5 NEWS crew saw some people go to the refuge and be redirected.