Texas Ross Fire expands to 80,000 acres, prompting evacuations and road closures
The wind-driven Ross Fire near Fort Worth grew to 80,000 acres, leading officials to order evacuations in two counties and increase containment efforts, while separate wildfires continue across the western United States.
A grass fire that ignited near Palo Pinto, about 60 miles west of Fort Worth, expanded rapidly overnight to roughly 80,000 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The blaze, dubbed the Ross Fire, prompted evacuation orders and road closures in Palo Pinto and neighboring Jack counties as it moved northward.
The fire was 12% contained on Wednesday morning, up from 5% the previous day, as crews worked to protect lives and structures while establishing containment lines where conditions allowed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The incident follows a series of large wildfires in the western United States. In Nevada, firefighters have increased containment of the Hawk Fire near Reno to 85% after it burned more than 15,000 acres, destroyed at least 47 homes and injured seven people, including three first responders. Evacuations in that area have been reduced to about 5,000 from a peak of 42,000.
In Washington state, 15 uncontained fires are burning across 800,000 acres. The Little Giant Fire in Chelan County and the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County have each consumed over 150,000 acres; the latter is 56% contained, while the former is 23% contained. Both are in remote terrain and are not threatening residential areas.
"Washington is comfortably in the third-worst fire season from an acres burned perspective since 2015," said Thomas Kyle-Milward, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
The spate of fires has strained firefighting resources across the region, with multiple incidents exceeding 100,000 acres this season.