Ross Fire Tops 50,000 Acres in North Texas, Forces Evacuations as Drought Grips 77% of the State

A grass fire that started near the tiny community of Ross in Palo Pinto County just before 1:30 p.m. Monday was estimated at 25 acres. By Tuesday it had burned more than 50,000 acres. That's roughly 78 square miles, scorched in about 24 hours.

The Texas A&M Forest Service has been updating containment figures throughout the response, and the numbers moved fast: 5% Tuesday morning, then 8% by evening, then 12% by Tuesday night, according to reporting from ABC News, Fox 4 News, KWTX and CBS News. The differences reflect a fire situation changing hour by hour, not conflicting reports.

The fire is burning in Palo Pinto and Jack counties, about 60 miles west of Fort Worth, near U.S. Highway 180 and FM 919. That stretch of highway is closed to all traffic between South FM 4 and FM 919, according to CBS News. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the area.

Evacuations and Damage

Gov. Greg Abbott's office said approximately 630 homes were evacuated Monday night, according to Click2Houston. Evacuation orders have hit Jack County residents along County Road 2210 toward Highway 281, and in areas near and east of Bartons Chapel, per Fox Weather. An evacuation center is open at the Twin Lake Recreation Center in Jacksboro.

Three to four structures have sustained damage so far, according to CBS News, with many more at risk. Fox 4 News reported at least one structure burning along with grass, brush and trees, and noted the exact number of homes destroyed is still unknown as of Tuesday.

Worth Ranch, a youth camp in Palo Pinto owned by Scouting America's Longhorn Council, suffered what the council called catastrophic damage to multiple buildings. No scouts, campers or guests were on site when the fire hit. The camp ranger, Pat Adams, evacuated safely, according to CBS News and Fox 4 News.

Katie Dean, a local resident, told Fox 4 News she and her family had to load roughly 60 goats and other animals into a trailer on short notice. "I was panicking, but trying to keep it together for her so I didn't scare the animals and whatnot," Dean said. "We did not have a great fire evacuation plan going."

The Drought Behind It

Fox Weather reported that 77% of Texas is under some level of drought, a 20-percentage-point jump from the prior week. Dallas, San Antonio and Waco have each recorded zero measurable rainfall since the start of August, their driest starts to the month on record, according to the Fox Forecast Center.

CBS News reported more than a month has passed without measurable rain in the region, leaving fine surface fuels critically to extremely dry. Add gusty winds blowing steadily northeast, as Fox 4 News described, and you get a fire that grew from 25 acres to 18,000 acres in 12 hours, then to 50,000 within a day, according to the Palo Pinto County Emergency Services Department cited by ABC News.

Response and Resources

Gov. Abbott said FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help fund the state's response. "I thank the Trump Administration for the swift approval of this grant, which will help Texas suppress this wildfire and protect lives and property," Abbott said in a statement reported by Fox 4 News. He urged Texans to limit any activity that could spark additional fires.

The Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System has deployed dozers and aircraft, and out-of-state crews including Utah's Lone Peak Fire District have joined the fight, according to Click2Houston. Montgomery County's emergency management team, based in Southeast Texas, also sent personnel.

Local schools felt the disruption directly. Perrin CISD canceled classes Tuesday. Jacksboro ISD delayed its start by two hours.

Animal welfare groups moved quickly too. The Graham Livestock Commission opened a temporary holding station for displaced livestock at the Old Mineral Wells Sale Barn. The Humane Society of North Texas said it's helping clear space at the Mineral Wells Animal Shelter, with 12 dogs and 26 cats expected to transfer to a Fort Worth shelter.

A Second Western Fire

ABC News and the Epoch Times both reported on the Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada, which ignited over the weekend and has burned more than 15,000 acres, destroyed at least 32 to 47 homes depending on the count, and prompted evacuation orders for an estimated 90,000 residents at its peak. Nevada fire officials told a Tuesday briefing that containment had reached 27%, up from zero on Monday, and that seven people, including three first responders, suffered injuries.

Reno resident Luke Opperman told Reuters, as carried by the Epoch Times, that his family fled with their chickens, goats, dogs and cats packed into cars and trailers while he was away camping. "It's more than just a house, it's your neighborhood, it's your community," he said.

The cause of the Ross Fire remains under investigation, according to ABC News. With no rain in the forecast and dry, windy conditions expected to persist through the week, the Texas A&M Forest Service has warned of continued rapid growth potential. Containment lines are the only thing standing between the fire and more homes in Palo Pinto and Jack counties.