A fast-moving blaze forces evacuations
A wildfire burning west of Fort Worth has scorched more than 50,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, forcing evacuations as extreme dry conditions fuel the blaze, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The Ross Fire, which began Monday afternoon near Highway 180 and Ross Watson Road, grew rapidly, jumping from 25,000 to 50,000 acres in about three hours, based on updates from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
By 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, the fire had spread to over 50,000 acres, and was only 5% contained, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported. Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District 1 said the fire grew to over 18,000 acres within 12 hours of starting. Fire Chief Danny Watkins told UPI that within an hour of firefighters arriving, the blaze had become a five-alarm fire. More than 100 firefighters battled the flames Monday, with aircraft dropping water and fire retardant over the area.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in southern Jack County, including areas near and east of Bartons Chapel. FM 4 was closed, and residents were instructed to evacuate east along County Road 2210 toward U.S. Highway 281. An evacuation center was opened at the Twin Lakes Activity Center on State Highway 59 in Jacksboro. In Palo Pinto County, residents north of Fortune Bend Road to State Highway 16 North at FM 337 were strongly advised to evacuate Monday night; the Palo Pinto County Sheriff's Office said the recommendation was precautionary rather than mandatory, but urged those needing extra time or assistance to leave immediately.
Officials also closed a portion of U.S. Highway 180 near the fire's origin. As of Tuesday morning, no injuries or confirmed structure damage had been reported, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Record heat and drought fuel the flames
The fire's rapid growth coincided with record-breaking heat. Dallas-Fort Worth hit 109 degrees, breaking the Aug. 24 record of 107 set in 2023, while the day's low of 86 tied the area's all-time warmest minimum temperature for the ninth time, according to the National Weather Service. AccuWeather forecast a high of 109 degrees in Palo Pinto on Tuesday, with temperatures around 100 Wednesday and a possible stray afternoon thunderstorm.
The extreme conditions have made the region particularly vulnerable to wildfires, according to Christopher Roos, an environmental archaeologist at Southern Methodist University who researches wildfires. “Right now, this heat is pretty unprecedented,” Roos said. “In terms of peak temperatures, this is the worst that I've experienced in my 16 years living here.”
Roos explained that hotter atmospheres are “thirsty atmospheres” that draw moisture from plants and soil, turning vegetation into highly combustible fuel. Combined with wind, these “explosively dry fuel” conditions create the potential for fires like the Ross Fire.
As of Aug. 20, about 36% of Texas was experiencing some level of drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, with about 42% abnormally dry, including most of Palo Pinto and Jack counties. Roos noted that while a cool, wet “super El Niño” is possible on the horizon, it could paradoxically increase fire risk by first promoting heavy plant growth that later dries out, creating a “whiplash” effect.
Containment efforts and outlook
The Texas A&M Forest Service warned that the blaze has “large growth potential” as firefighters contend with extreme fire behavior. Weather and drought conditions are expected to make firefighting efforts more difficult, and hot temperatures, low humidity, and increasingly dry conditions could raise wildfire risk across Texas throughout the week.
For residents in the affected areas, the immediate concern remains the fire's unpredictability. With only 5% containment as of Tuesday morning, officials continued to urge caution and compliance with evacuation orders. The Ross Fire is a stark reminder of how a changing climate and prolonged drought can turn a spark into a major conflagration, as evidenced by the largest wildfire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek fire of 2024, which burned more than a million acres.