From The Texas Tribune · Alejandra Martinez, Alex Nguyen · · 2m
The North Texas fire that would not go out
Two weeks, 90,400 acres and 157 structures gone, and the first rain in 55 days finally showed up.
In brief
Two weeks, 90,400 acres and 157 structures gone, and the first rain in 55 days finally showed up. The Ross Fire grew into the second-largest wildfire in North Texas history because record drought and heat turned ranchland into fuel, and containment has come slowly, weather by weather. Originally reported by The Texas…
Rain, at last
Heavy but brief rain fell over the Ross Fire on Thursday, the first measurable rain the Dallas-Fort Worth region had seen in more than 55 days. That is the seventh-longest dry stretch on record.
90,400 acres, 76% contained
As of Sept. 10 the fire had burned across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, one of the largest in North Texas' recorded history. Containment means a line has been built along that share of the perimeter.
Crews cannot reach the hotspots
Heat in some spots is too intense for firefighters on foot, so helicopters drop buckets of water on burning trees and logs. Scorched timber and southeasterly winds keep the reburn risk alive.
A tropical storm helped
Edouard pushed temperatures into the 90s and raised humidity last week, letting crews move containment from 38% to 57%. Weather, not manpower, has driven most of the progress.
“It is an ongoing operation, very dynamic, very changing as the weather comes in.”
Sparked along a road
The Forest Service and local law enforcement traced the origin to a roadside, ignited by equipment or a vehicle. The specific source could not be pinned down.
It doubled in hours
The fire started Aug. 24 near Palo Pinto and hit about 50,000 acres by Aug. 25. A day later the estimate passed 80,000, with trees torching in groups in steep, rocky terrain.
157 structures destroyed
Eighteen of them were occupied homes. Two firefighters were hurt, a hand injury in a traffic collision and an eye injury treated on scene.
Go home, but be ready
Evacuation orders in Jack and Palo Pinto counties have been lifted, though officials warn residents to leave fast if conditions shift. An evacuation center is open in Jacksboro, with livestock relocation sites nearby.
“To all families out there affected or maybe not yet affected, our core message remains: protect your life.”
The driest August on record
Dallas-Fort Worth just logged its driest August ever, with temperatures still near 100 degrees. Statewide, nearly 85 active fires have burned more than 99,400 acres.
Second only to 2011
Only the Possum Kingdom Complex Fire, which burned 126,734 acres in April 2011, has been bigger in this area. Smoke drifting east has turned skies orange and pushed air quality warnings across North Texas.
The key point
The Ross Fire grew into the second-largest wildfire in North Texas history because record drought and heat turned ranchland into fuel, and containment has come slowly, weather by weather.
