Texas Ross Fire spreads to 50,000 acres, prompting evacuations

A grass fire that ignited Monday afternoon near Palo Pinto, about 60 miles west of Fort Worth, expanded to roughly 50,000 acres by Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders in Palo Pinto and neighboring Jack counties, officials said. The blaze, dubbed the Ross Fire, was only about 5% contained on Tuesday morning as it moved northward.

"Firefighters are prioritizing life safety and structure protection, while working to establish containment lines where conditions safely allow," the Texas A&M Forest Service said in a statement.

The Palo Pinto County sheriff urged residents to leave the area immediately, especially those who may need additional time or assistance evacuating.

The cause of the Ross Fire remains under investigation.

In Nevada, crews reported progress on the Hawk Fire near Reno, which has burned about 25,000 acres, destroyed at least 32 homes and injured seven people, including three first responders. Containment rose to 27% on Monday, and evacuation orders were reduced from 42,000 to 23,000 people.

Washington state officials said 15 large wildfires continue to burn across the state, consuming roughly 800,000 acres. The Little Giant Fire in Chelan County and the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County, both started by lightning, have burned more than 140,000 and 155,000 acres respectively. The Sinlahekin Fire was 55% contained, while the Little Giant Fire was 15% contained.

"Washington is comfortably in the third-worst fire season from an acres burned perspective since 2015," Thomas Kyle-Milward, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, told a local news outlet.