The Ross Fire burning west of Fort Worth in Palo Pinto County appears to be holding steady at around 85,000 acres and 21% containment Thursday, according to Texas A&M Forest Service officials.
Forest Service spokesperson Adam Turner told reporters at a 10 a.m. news conference that the wind is expected to shift Thursday. Firefighters plan to focus their efforts around the Possum Kingdom Lake area and will be working to protect the communities along Texas 16.
“That does not mean that resources have left the rest of the fire,” Turner said. “There are resources engaged on all areas of the fire, working to construct containment lines and mop up any areas of heat that they can find.”
Palo Pinto County Judge Shane Long said he understands at least five structures have been damaged or destroyed since the blaze began Monday, but he doesn’t know if they were outbuildings or homes. Forest Service officials said Wednesday that teams are out working to assess the damage.
Firefighters continue to battle the Ross Fire in two North Texas counties. The blaze appears to be holding steady at 85,000 acres and 21% containment Thursday, Aug. 27, officials say. No injuries to civilians or those fighting the fire have been reported. Arlington Fire Department
Long said the county has received resources from all over Texas and even from other states.
“Neighbors are helping neighbors,” he said. “Everybody’s doing a really good job pulling together. “I can’t say enough about the support that we’ve received as far as donations and support coming in.”
The fire is currently the second largest in the history of the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth warning area, according to the NWS. The biggest fire in the region’s history was the Possum Kingdom Complex at 126,734 acres in 2011.
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How does the Ross Fire compare to other North Texas wildfires? Ranking the largest historic wildfires in the NWS Fort Worth County Warning Area, the Ross Fire (still ongoing) currently ranks second, at over 80,000 acres in size. The largest wildfire in WFO Fort Worth’s history is the Possum Kingdom (PK) Complex at 126,734 acres. The other largest wildfires are from 2022 and 2006, with the Ross Fire the only top-ranking fire to occur in August. NWS Fort Worth
Turner said fire crews are having to spend a lot of time driving due to the size of the fire. He urged the public to watch out for crews on the road and also those working near roadways.
“We appreciate any caution you can give us,” he said.
A truck with the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System was involved in an accident on the road early Thursday, Turner said. One firefighter sustained a minor injury. Other than that, there have been no reports of injuries to the firefighters working to contain the blaze or to civilians.
There are around 200 people involved in fighting the Ross Fire as of Thursday, according to Turner. More are still arriving to provide additional support.
Oncor is also working to restore service to affected customers in the area of the Ross Fire. Oncor spokesperson Pat Wilson said at the news conference that 83 distribution poles have been replaced. Multiple crews are working to rebuild damaged lines.
About 50 Palo Pinto County residents were without power as of noon Thursday, according to the Oncor outage map.
Ross fire
This map shows the latest location and available information for the Ross Fire. Tap the fire icon or perimeter outline to view current fire details.Data is provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire, IRWIN, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), NASA, NOAA and Esri.
Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com
Palo Pinto Emergency Services District 1 spokesperson Amy Myer said the public can still help through financial donations. They are not accepting supplies like water and snacks at this time, but will continue to post needs on the district’s Facebook page.
Crews continue to battle the Ross Fire in neighboring Jack County as well. Jack County Emergency Management officials said in a Facebook post early Thursday that they don’t have a count yet of how many acres have burned.
By the end of the day Wednesday, the fire “had lost its steam,” officials said in the post. “Fire fighters could set back and take a deep breath from the tireless and exhausting work from the last 48 hours.”
No major injuries have been reported in Jack County, according to the post.
“Just a reminder, it will take days, weeks and maybe years to recover what was taken in just a few seconds,” the post reads.
Officials haven’t said yet what caused the fire.
This story was originally published August 27, 2026 at 2:07 PM.
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