Ross Fire grows to one of the largest wildfires on record in North Texas

The fire started Monday near Palo Pinto and spread with alarming speed through dry ranchland. By Tuesday it had doubled to roughly 50,000 acres in a matter of hours. By Wednesday that number climbed past 80,000, and the Texas A&M Forest Service reported only 12 percent containment.

Firefighters on the ground described extreme fire behavior, with trees torching in groups as strong winds pushed the flames across the landscape. Some rural residents have been told to evacuate, and officials urged anyone in or near the affected area to be ready to leave fast if conditions change.

No injuries have been reported, which is something considering the pace this fire moved. For people here in Lubbock and across the South Plains, this is a sharp reminder of how quickly dry conditions and wind can turn a spark into something that swallows tens of thousands of acres before containment crews can get ahead of it.

The fire reached 50,000 acres in roughly 24 hours, a rate of spread that pushed it into the record books before most people had heard its name.