Nine out of 10 wildfires are human-caused<\/a>, according to the forest service. That includes vehicles, welding, burning of debris and other equipment use.<\/p>\n The Ross Fire first broke Aug. 24<\/a> near U.S. Highway 180 in Palo Pinto County when the forest service was first requested to respond to the site, where 80 acres<\/a> had already burned. It grew to burn 50,000 acres<\/a> by the following day, spreading to Jack County.<\/p>\n As of Thursday, the fire has burned 90,400 acres<\/a> across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, according to the latest data, which are each over an hour west of Fort Worth.<\/p>\n About 38% of the fire has been contained, the data shows.<\/p>\n Ross Fire operations section chief Boe Adler said crews would respond to the western portions of the blaze<\/a> Thursday near Possum Kingdom Lake as winds from the east were likely to cause new fire activity in the area.<\/p>\n The Ross Fire has destroyed 167 structures, including 18 occupied homes and 95 damaged structures, according to the forest service. The fire is the second-largest blaze<\/a> to hit the North Texas region, falling behind the 2011 Possum Kingdom Complex fire.<\/p>\n The incident comes after the region has experienced arid conditions and consistent triple-digit temperatures, drying out vegetation and elevating the risk of wildfires.\u00a0<\/p>\n This week marked North Texas\u2019 10th-longest stretch without measurable rainfall<\/a>, recorded at 46 days by Monday, according to the National Weather Service.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fire threats remain elevated as North Texas will likely see triple-digit temperatures next week<\/a>. Forecasts show a high of 100 degrees for Monday through Tuesday.<\/p>\n Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Report\u2019s environment coverage is supported by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ross-Fire-graph-AM-Forest-Service-1024x791.jpeg\")
A graph shows the areas impacted by the Ross Fire, which has grown to burn 90,400 acres in Palo Pinto and Jack counties. (Courtesy | Texas A&M Forest Service)<\/p>\n