The Ross fire in Palo Pinto and Jack counties has burned an estimated 85,000 acres, placing it among the largest wildfires ever recorded in North Texas, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service and The Dallas Morning News.
The blaze started Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, about a mile north of the town of Palo Pinto, roughly 100 miles west of Dallas. InciWeb, the federal incident site used by the Forest Service, listed the fire at 85,003 acres Thursday evening with 26% containment. The Dallas Morning News reported 21% containment Thursday afternoon as crews fought flare-ups and shifting winds. The cause remains under investigation. No deaths have been reported, the newspaper said.
Forest Service spokesperson Adam Turner told The News that Thursday’s jump from about 80,000 acres did not necessarily mean 5,000 new acres had just burned; crews were still mapping a perimeter stretching about 30 miles end to end. InciWeb said more than 200 personnel were assigned. Aviation and heavy equipment have been used along the western flank toward Possum Kingdom Lake and State Highway 16.
Extreme fire behavior on the #RossFire in Palo Pinto County on Aug. 24, 2026. The fire has large growth potential.
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) August 25, 2026
Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
🚨 Stay wildfire aware! Listen to local officials.
📲 See smoke/fire? Call 911.
📍Active fire map: https://t.co/JiP5HPST9y pic.twitter.com/lOWFLBWcve
Structures have been damaged, including Worth Ranch Scout Camp. Officials said Thursday they still did not have a complete structure count. Palo Pinto ESD1 said evacuation notices in that county had been lifted; Jack County reported no active evacuations, according to the Forest Service daily update. Utility crews have replaced dozens of poles after widespread outages.
The 2011 Possum Kingdom Complex remains larger at 126,734 acres, Forest Service data provided to The News show.
Burn bans remain in effect across most of North Texas, including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service burn-ban list updated Thursday. Officials urge residents to avoid outdoor burning through another hot, dry weekend.
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