# Ross Fire fully contained after 23 days in North Texas

> Firefighters eliminated fuel along the perimeter of the 90,000-acre blaze that became the region's second-largest wildfire.
- Title: Ross Fire fully contained after 23 days in North Texas
- Summary: Firefighters eliminated fuel along the perimeter of the 90,000-acre blaze that became the region's second-largest wildfire. The Ross Fire burned nearly…
- Keywords: ross fire, palo pinto county, jack county, texas a&m forest service, wildfire, north texas, fort worth, bridger aerospace, ken king, volunteer fire departments, drought, news
- Source: The Texas Tribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17464067/north-texas-ross-fire-containment
- Author: Alejandra Martinez
- Published: 2026-09-17T00:07:45+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: ross fire, palo pinto county, jack county, texas a&m forest service, wildfire, north texas, fort worth, bridger aerospace, ken king, volunteer fire departments, drought, news
## Ross Fire fully contained
After 23 days, firefighters eliminated all fuel along the fire's perimeter. The blaze burned 89,989 acres in Palo Pinto and Jack counties.
## More than 500 firefighters responded
Crews cleared trees, dry leaves, and vegetation, scraping soil down to bare dirt. Little is left to catch flame.
## Fire grew with extraordinary speed
The Ross Fire sparked on Aug. 24 and doubled to 50,000 acres in hours. By Aug. 26, it had climbed above 80,000 acres.
## Equipment or vehicle caused it
Fire investigators determined the fire started along a road and was caused by equipment or a vehicle, though the specific source couldn't be identified.
## Second-largest wildfire in area history
The Ross Fire ranks behind only the Possum Kingdom Complex Fire, which burned 126,734 acres in April 2011.
## Steep terrain made fighting difficult
Rocky terrain made portions of the fire hard to reach. Intense heat forced firefighters to take precautions as the body can only tolerate so much.
## 167 structures destroyed
At least 167 structures were destroyed, including 18 occupied by residents. Evacuation orders were issued but have since been lifted.
## Record drought fueled the fire
The Dallas-Fort Worth region went more than 60 days without measurable rain, the third-longest stretch on record. Dried vegetation ignited easily.
## Air crews arrived three days late
Bridger Aerospace scoopers delivered 411,000 gallons of water but arrived three days after the fire began. One lawmaker called that gap a catastrophe.

> Three days later, in a wildfire, three days is a catastrophe waiting to happen, and that gap is a structural problem.
## State invested in volunteer departments
Texas appropriated $192 million last year to help rural volunteer fire departments update equipment. Departments in both counties received some funds.
## Recovery costs will exceed budgets
Volunteer fire departments drove brush trucks through rugged terrain, burning through tires that cost $700 to $1,000 each. Recovery expenses will exceed budgets.

> It's very expensive to fight these wildland fires.
## Key takeaway

The Ross Fire burned nearly 90,000 acres over 23 days, destroying 167 structures before being fully contained by more than 500 firefighters.