Texas wildfire burns 80,000 acres, prompts federal aid as drought deepens

A wildfire that ignited Monday afternoon in North Texas has burned across roughly 80,000 acres of Palo Pinto and Jack counties, destroying at least a handful of structures, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of households and prompting the federal government to approve emergency funding to help pay for the firefighting effort. The blaze, known as the Ross Fire, was 12 percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service's incident report, after advancing roughly nine miles north overnight and crossing the Brazos River.

The fire started just before 1:30 p.m. Monday near the community of Ross, about two hours west of Fort Worth, as a 25-acre blaze. Within 24 hours it had grown to more than 50,000 acres, and by Wednesday morning it covered more than 78 square miles, an expansion state officials have attributed to record dryness, high heat and gusting winds across the region.

The scale of the fire

State fire officials say the Ross Fire has burned through roughly 80,000 acres of ranchland, chaparral and tall grass, an area larger than the city of Denver. Incident reports describe "extreme fire behavior," including long-range spotting — embers carried far ahead of the main fire line — and group torching of trees along both flanks. Crews from the Texas A&M Forest Service are operating in unified command with local fire departments, backed by bulldozers, air tankers and helicopters, including Texas National Guard Black Hawk and Chinook aircraft fitted for water drops.

No civilian injuries or deaths had been reported as of Wednesday afternoon. At least five structures were confirmed destroyed, according to local fire officials, though damage assessments were still underway across a fire perimeter that stretches across two counties. U.S. Highway 180 remains closed between two farm-to-market roads, and a temporary flight restriction is in effect over the burn area to keep the airspace clear for firefighting aircraft.

A record-dry August

The fire is burning amid what meteorologists describe as one of the driest starts to August on record across large parts of Texas. Several major cities, including Dallas, San Antonio and Waco, have recorded no measurable rainfall since the start of the month, and drought conditions statewide worsened sharply in the past week. Palo Pinto and Jack counties have gone more than a month without meaningful rain, leaving grass and brush fuels officials describe as critically to extremely dry. A regional heat advisory has compounded the danger, with afternoon temperatures and low humidity feeding what fire officials have called "large growth potential" for the blaze.

Palo Pinto County Judge Shane Long declared a local disaster Tuesday as the fire spread, a step that preceded the state's request for federal help. On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that FEMA had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Ross Fire, making the state eligible for federal reimbursement of 75 percent of qualifying suppression costs. Abbott said he had directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate additional state resources, including the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, to support local departments already stretched thin.

Evacuations, a scout camp and school closures

At the fire's peak spread Tuesday, roughly 630 households in Palo Pinto and Jack counties were under evacuation orders, according to state emergency officials. Residents along County Road 2210 toward U.S. Highway 281 in Jack County were among the last ordered out before mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Wednesday morning as fire behavior eased somewhat; voluntary evacuation advisories remain in place for areas closer to the fire line, and officials have continued to urge residents to be ready to leave on short notice.

Among the properties damaged is the Worth Ranch Scouting camp, which the Fort Worth Report said suffered "catastrophic damage" to multiple buildings; no scouts, campers or staff were on site at the time, and the camp ranger evacuated safely. Two area school districts, Bryson ISD and Graford ISD, canceled classes Wednesday, while Jacksboro ISD and Perrin CISD delayed their start times earlier in the week because of smoke and road closures. Local livestock and animal-welfare groups, including the Graham Livestock Commission and area humane societies, have opened space to shelter evacuated pets and farm animals.

"The primary objective for the day is structural protection because of the fire conditions," said Danny Watkins, chief of the Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District. "We're throwing everything at this and still having minimal effect."

Watkins' assessment, delivered as containment held near 12 percent Wednesday, underscored how little ground firefighters had gained against a blaze that has outpaced typical wildfire growth rates for the region even by the standards of a summer marked by widespread Western drought. CBS News Texas reported that more than 100 firefighters were on scene when the fire was first reported Monday, with additional air assets and state strike teams arriving through Tuesday as the fire's growth accelerated.

What happens next

Fire officials said Wednesday that containment lines were holding better on the fire's southern and western edges, but that active growth continued to the north, where the blaze had pushed across the Brazos River overnight. Fox Weather reported no significant rain is forecast for the area in the coming days, meaning suppression will continue to depend on ground crews, aircraft and natural barriers such as the river and existing roads rather than a change in weather.

The Texas A&M Forest Service said its investigators have not yet determined a cause for the fire, and an inquiry remains open. State officials have renewed public warnings against outdoor burning and any activity that could throw a spark, given the extent of drought across the state; Abbott's office said statewide conditions mean similar rapid-growth fires remain possible elsewhere in Texas in the near term. For residents of Palo Pinto and Jack counties, officials said the immediate priorities are protecting remaining homes and infrastructure, completing damage assessments, and deciding when it is safe to lift the voluntary evacuation advisories still covering areas closest to the fire line.