The “monster” Ross Fire that started west of Fort Worth in Palo Pinto County on Monday has grown to 80,000 acres and is only 12% contained, Texas A&M Forest Service officials said Wednesday.
Forest Service spokesperson Hector Marines said at a Wednesday morning news conference that teams are working to assess damage, but there’s not an official count yet of how many structures have been affected by the blaze.
Worth Ranch, a Scouting America camp located about 60 miles west of Fort Worth, received widespread damage in the Ross Fire. Camp personnel were safely evacuated and there were no campers on site when the fire swept through, Scouting America Longhorn Council officials said in an online update.
“While preliminary aerial imagery indicates widespread and catastrophic damage across much of the property, the full extent of the impact remains unknown until trained teams can safely conduct an in-person assessment,” the update reads.
Marines said firefighters are working to anticipate wind shifts and get ahead of the fire. Planes are dropping retardant lines and bulldozers are pushing vegetation aside so the fire won’t have anything to consume.
Wildland fire engines are working to mitigate hot spots and drones are being used in the fire-fighting operations as well. Marines said the area around the fire is a no-fly zone and requested that unauthorized drones be kept away.
“This is strictly for wildland fire personnel and aviation,” he said.
Firefighters continue to battle the Ross Fire in two North Texas counties. The blaze had grown to 80,000 acres as of Wednesday, Aug. 26, officials say. It’s not clear how many buildings have been destroyed. Palo Pinto Emergency Services District 1
There’s currently heavy fire activity on the Texas 16 corridor near Possum Kingdom, according to Marines.
“We are focusing a lot of our efforts on that side,” he said.
Palo Pinto Emergency Services District 1 spokesperson Amy Myer encouraged residents in affected areas to stay aware of all city and county alerts.
Myer said there’s been an inundation of water and snacks brought in, and there’s no longer a need for those items. Myer said financial donations are the best way to help right now. Donations can be made online.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant has been approved to aid officials in fighting the Ross Fire.
Jack County
The Ross Fire has also crossed into neighboring Jack County. Residents in the southern part of the county were ordered to evacuate early Tuesday, but the evacuations have since been lifted, Jack County Emergency Management officials said on Facebook.
No Jack County roads are closed, according to the post, but residents are urged to use caution as they return to their homes.
According to the Jack County Sheriff’s Office, the forward progression of the fire has been stopped in the county, but they still have many miles of flank fire to deal with.
“We will still be working this fire for several more days and fully expect we will still have afternoon flareups like we have been experiencing,” Sheriff T-Bob Hauger said in a Facebook post.
Financial donations for the Jack County Rural Fire Departments can be made at any Prosperity Bank location in Texas or by check and sent to Prosperity Bank at 201 S. Main St. in Jacksboro.
This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 12:51 PM.
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