Two Weeks Later, Historic North Texas Wildfire Still Burning

By Alejandra Martinez and Alex Nguyen / The Texas Tribune

FORT WORTH, TX — Two weeks after the Ross Fire broke out west of Fort Worth, responders are still battling one of the largest wildfires in North Texas’ recorded history. 

The weather isn’t helping. The Dallas-Fort Worth region’s summer weather is setting records with more than 53 days without measurable rain — the seventh-longest stretch on record, according to the National Weather Service. 

As of Sept. 8, the fire had burned 90,400 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties and was about 57% contained, the Texas A&M Forest Service said.

Firefighters on the ground can’t break through the intense heat in some hotspots. Helicopters are trying to help by dropping buckets of water on burning trees and logs. The reburn potential from scorched timber and strong southeasterly winds remain a concern, according to a Sept. 8 updatefrom the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Last week the region expected to get some rain and slightly cooler temperatures due to Tropical Storm Edouard. The storm brought temperatures down to the 90s and increased humidity in the area, helping firefighters to increase the fire’s contained area from 38% to 57%. Containment refers to the portion of the fire’s perimeter where firefighters have established a line or barrier aimed at stopping the fire from spreading. 

“The fire is estimated at 90,000 acres so there are going to be portions that may see rain, portions that may not see rain,” said Laura Stevens, a public information officer with the Texas A&M Forest Service last week. “It is an ongoing operation, very dynamic, very changing as the weather comes in.”

The Forest Service and local law enforcement agencies determined that the fire originated along a road and was sparked by equipment or a vehicle, although the specific source couldn’t be determined.

At a press Sept. 3 conference, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said he expected it to take up to two more weeks to fully extinguish the fire. 

Gov. Greg Abbott promised residents the state would help them rebuild when it was safe to do so and urged people to follow local officials’ guidance about when they can safely check their businesses or homes.

“To all families out there affected or maybe not yet affected, our core message remains: protect your life,” Abbott said. “Don’t drive into (the fire). Don’t drive near it. I know you may be wanting to get back to your home right now but that could be very dangerous.”

The Ross Fire began Aug. 24 near Palo Pinto and grew with extraordinary speed in the dry ranchland. By Aug. 25, officials reported that the fire had doubled in size in a few hours to about 50,000 acres. By Aug. 26, the estimate had climbed above 80,000 acres. 

Firefighters have reported extreme fire behavior, including trees torching in groups amid strong winds. Crews are struggling to put out flames in the steep and rocky terrain, according to the Forest Service. 

Two injuries have been reported among firefighters, according to Adam Turner, a public information officer with the Forest Service. Turner said one involved a minor hand injury during a traffic collision last week, and the other was a minor eye injury that was treated on scene.

At least 157 structures, including 18 that were occupied, have also been destroyed, according to an initial assessment by firefighters. Evacuation orders have been lifted, but officials told residents in or near affected areas to be prepared to leave quickly if conditions change. 

Only parts of Highway Texas 254 remain closed as crews continue responding to the fire.

August was bone dry — the month will go as the driest August on record for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the Fort Worth National Weather Service office. Extreme heat will also continue, as the area’s temperatures are expected to hover near 100 degrees in the next few days. 

As much of the state experiences extreme heat, the Forest Service reportsnearly 85 active fires scorching over 99,400acres across Texas, including the Ross Fire. Many of them are fully contained. 

The Forest Service reports some structures have been impacted by the Ross fire, including Worth Ranch, a 800-acre historic Scouting America camp along the Brazos River. The extent of the property damage is unknown.

The Ross Fire is now the second-largest wildfire in the area’s history, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office, behind the Possum Kingdom Complex Fire, which burned 126,734 acres in April 2011.

The response team battling the Ross Fire includes small rural departments closest to the fire, the Texas A&M Forest Service and local fire departments around the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The priorities are to protect people, defend communities and critical structures, slow the fire’s movement and build lines that can eventually hold the fire in place, according to The Texas A&M Forest Service.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Aug. 25 that FEMA had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Ross Fire, which gives local agencies financial help and reimburses eligible firefighting costs. 

Portions of Jack County were ordered evacuated last week as the fire moved north. That order was later lifted as conditions improved, but officials have continued warning residents to remain vigilant. Palo Pinto County had issued voluntary evacuation advisories for areas threatened by the fire, but those notices have been lifted as well.

An evacuation center has been established at the Jacksboro Twin Lakes Recreation Center, and livestock relocation centers have been established in the region for residents who need somewhere to take cattle and other animals.

Smoke from the Ross Fire has been moving east and southeast into parts of North Texas, creating orange, hazy skies and affecting air quality. People with respiratory conditions, children and older adults in areas where the smoke has drifted were advised to stay inside, according to the state’s environmental regulators.