Wildfires are prompting evacuations in two North Texas counties. Here’s where the fires are located and where they may be moving.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Evacuations are underway just west of the Metroplex, where a major wildfire and several spot fires are threatening communities in Palo Pinto and Jack Counties.
The fast-moving wildfire, named the Ross Fire, has burned more than 50,000 acres in Plano Pinto County, prompting evacuations and highway closures. Just north of the Ross Fire, a mandatory evacuation is underway in Jack County, where a spot fire is burning.
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As of 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Ross Fire was just 5% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Highway 180 was closed near the scene as crews battled the flames.
The location of the fires is dynamic and changing. Residents near the flames should refer to the Texas A&M Forest Service’s fire map for the latest information. Here is the status of the fire’s locations as of 7:30 a.m.
Where is the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County?
The Ross Fire, the largest and least contained in the region, is burning in central Palo Pinto County, southeast of Possum Kingdom Lake.
The fire is actively burning from US 180 near the city of Palo Pinto to TX 337 near Graford. Heavy smoke was reported from the eastern edge of Possum Kingdom Lake to Mineral Wells to the west and Bridgeport Lake to the north.
Officials strongly recommended that residents who may need more time to leave the area evacuate.
Where is Jack County, the site of a spot fire prompting evacuations?
Portions of Jack County, located just north of Palo Pinto County, are under a mandatory evacuation order, officials said.
Another wildfire is currently spreading in south Jack County, southeast of Highway 4 and FM 2210, heading north and east, according to Jack County emergency management officials.
The fire is located south of the County’s biggest city, Jacksboro.
Residents are asked to leave the area and travel east on Farm to Market 2210, according to a Jack County Emergency Management social media post. A shelter is being made available at Twin Lakes Activity Center in Jacksboro off Highway 59
Where is there risk of fire danger?
While the Ross Fire and the fire in Jack County are burning west of the DFW Metroplex, much of the region is under extreme fire danger. Nearly every North Texas county has also established a burn ban, in an effort to prevent new fires from sparking.
