Beyond the 806
Ross Fire Grows to 80,000 Acres in Palo Pinto County - thetexan.news
The Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County exploded to 80,000 acres by Wednesday, growing more than 30,000 acres overnight after Texas A&M Forest Service reported it at 50,000 acres Tuesday evening, with containment sitting at just 12 percent. The fire started Monday afternoon after a 911 call came in at 12:26 p.m.
The fire started Monday afternoon after a 911 call came in at 12:26 p.m. Reporting a grass fire two miles west of Palo Pinto on Highway 80. Palo Pinto County Emergency Service District 1 Fire Chief Danny Watkins confirmed the sheriff's office received that initial call. Watch Duty, a nonprofit that tracks wildfires and floods, logged the affected area at 81,997 acres, with power outages spreading across portions of the county.
West Texas knows fire season, and Lubbock sits close enough to the Rolling Plains that what burns in Palo Pinto County can push smoke and haze this direction in a matter of hours depending on the wind. Folks here with family or property in that region should keep a close eye on Watch Duty alerts.
Palo Pinto County sits roughly three hours east of Lubbock, and at 12 percent containment, this fire is far from over.
Common questions
When and how did the Ross Fire start?
- The Ross Fire started Monday afternoon. A 911 call reporting a grass fire came in at 12:26 p.m., two miles west of Palo Pinto on Highway 80. Palo Pinto County Emergency Service District 1 Fire Chief Danny Watkins confirmed the sheriff's office received that initial call.
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