Record Heat and Dry Air Are Turning This Texas Fire Explosive
A rapidly developing wildfire burning west of Fort Worth, Texas, doubled in size in three hours on Tuesday, forcing evacuations in several communities. Here is the latest update on the Ross Fire.
Latest Update on Quickly Spreading Ross Fire
The Ross Fire exploded to 50,000 acres on Tuesday, prompting evacuations of residents in portions of Jack and Palo Pinto counties. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the blaze was only 5% contained as of Tuesday morning as it continues to spread at a breakneck speed.
The fire broke out at about 12:25 pm CDT on Monday near the junction of U.S. Highway 180 and Ross Watson Road, west of Palo Pinto. According to Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District 1 Fire Chief Danny Watkins, the inferno had intensified into a five-alarm fire within an hour.
Over 100 firefighters were deployed to fight the flames on Monday. Several aircraft were also spotted dropping water and fire retardant over the growing blaze.
Officials issued mandatory evacuations in the southern edge of Jack County. This evacuation zone includes the area near Bartons Chapel. Because FM 4 was closed, residents were told to evacuate to the east using County Road 2210 traveling toward U.S. Highway 281. The Twin Lakes Activity Center on State Highway 59 in Jacksboro is serving as an evacuation center for displaced residents.
Residents living in an area north of Fortune Bend Road to State Highway 16 North at FM 337 were put on evacuation notice late Monday. While the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office said evacuation was not mandatory yet, residents were urged to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.
The spreading flames also forced the closure of a stretch of U.S. 180 on Monday.
Extreme Fire Weather Amplifying Threat
Extreme heat and windy conditions have helped to spread the Ross Fire. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex notched a record high of 109 degrees on Monday. The overnight low bottomed out in the mid 80s, tying the all-time warmest minimum reading.
Palo Pinto is once again forecast to hit a high of 109 degrees on Tuesday before falling slightly to 100 degrees on Wednesday. Ample sunshine with little to no moisture in the forecast will exacerbate the fire weather.
There have been no injuries reported in connection with the fire. Crews have also been successful in keeping structures in the path safe. Investigators are still working to determine a cause of the fire.
The Ross Fire is just one of many large wildfires burning across the western half of the country. A massive wildfire outside of Reno, Nevada, forced the evacuation of thousands over the weekend. The state of Washington also continues to be a hotbed of wildfire activity over the last few weeks. Officials have confirmed 15 large uncontained fires that have burned about 800,000 acres.
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