The Ross Fire has blackened just over 90,000 acres across North Texas, destroying more than 150 structures in a little over a week, as record-breaking drought and extreme heat continue to plague the region.
As of Tuesday, 31% of the fire, which has burned across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, has been contained, according to data from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
News of the fire broke Aug. 24, when crews with the forest service responded to requests for assistance on 80 acres located along U.S. Highway 180 in Palo Pinto County. The cause has not been determined.
The fire quickly grew to 15,000 acres that same day as winds pushed the flames north, spreading into Jack County. The spread resulted in multiple road closures and evacuations in Jack and Palo Pinto counties.
The conflagration has since grown to be the second-largest wildfire in North Texas' recorded history, according to the National Weather Service, behind the 2011 Possum Kingdom Complex Fire.
Crews are focusing recovery efforts Tuesday by addressing the southern portion of the area affected by the fire, moving toward its western and northern boundaries near Possum Kingdom Lake, Ross Fire operations section chief Boe Adler said in an update. The agency expects flare-ups to occur throughout the day.
Damage assessments show 157 structures were destroyed, including 25 homes. Also, 43 structures reported major damages and 97 others had minor damages, according to data from the forest service.
The fire also damaged the historic Worth Ranch Boy Scouts camp, located about 60 miles west of Fort Worth on the Brazos River.
While assessments are ongoing, the camp received widespread and catastrophic damage, according to a statement on the camp's website. The statement asks that the public refrain from visiting the campgrounds.
Some of the camp's debris continues to burn, and it could take weeks before fuels, such as fire-riddled trees across the terrain, die out, forest service wildland urban interface coordinator Adam Turner said in an update Tuesday.
Jack County officials said Thursday it could take weeks before the fire is fully contained.
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park remains open and safe for visitors, state park officials said in a social media post. Air quality can regularly change due to smoke from the Ross Fire, parks officials said, urging visitors with respiratory concerns to check air quality conditions before visiting.
The rapidly growing fire comes as North Texas experiences above-average heat and dry conditions, exacerbated by many back-to-back days of triple digit temperatures.
Fort Worth has been in moderate drought since Aug. 11, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
North Texas has gone 46 days without measurable rain, marking the region's 10th-longest streak of no precipitation and one of the driest Augusts on record, according to the NWS.
The region's longest stretch without measurable rain lasted 84 days, from July 1 through Sept. 22, 2000, according to NWS data.
Due to abnormally dry conditions, burn bans have been in effect for Tarrant, Palo Pinto and Jack counties as far back as last month.
A slight chance of storms is forecast for Fort Worth-Dallas on Wednesday, but fire threats remain elevated.
A three-month forecast from NOAA shows North Texas has a maximum 40% chance of continued above-average temperatures through November, but the likelihood of rainfall should level out to average.
Many other parts of Texas are also experiencing lack of rain, according to data from NOAA. Over 30% of the state is under abnormally dry conditions while regions in the Panhandle make up 8% of the state under exceptional drought.
Currently, there are 12 active fires in the state, according to the forest service, including the Ross Fire. Last week, there were 156 wildfires that burned over 94,000 acres collectively, with the threat of fire highest in West, Central and East Texas.
Texas' fires come on the heels of the blazes that began sweeping through Canada in July, pushing smoke and worsening air quality for states in the Midwest and the Northeast, according to a report from the Public Broadcasting Station.
Smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada and the western United States continues moving east into the upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
The Report's environment coverage is supported by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.
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