State and North Texas officials determined the Ross Fire was “human-caused,” and began from equipment or vehicle use associated with a roadside start, according to a news release.
The Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement and other local agencies completed their investigation after determining the blaze’s cause, forest service spokesperson Laura Stevens told the Fort Worth Report on Thursday.
Forest service officials said early Wednesday the Ross Fire sourced from a blown-out tire, but a spokesperson later stated investigators determined that was no longer accurate, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Nine out of 10 wildfires are human-caused, according to the forest service. That includes vehicles, welding, burning of debris and other equipment use.
The Ross Fire first broke Aug. 24 near U.S. Highway 180 in Palo Pinto County when the forest service was first requested to respond to the site, where 80 acres had already burned. It grew to burn 50,000 acres by the following day, spreading to Jack County.
As of Thursday, the fire has burned 90,400 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties, according to the latest data, which are each over an hour west of Fort Worth.
About 38% of the fire has been contained, the data shows.
Ross Fire operations section chief Boe Adler said crews would respond to the western portions of the blaze Thursday near Possum Kingdom Lake as winds from the east were likely to cause new fire activity in the area.
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 to hit the North Texas region, falling behind the 2011 Possum Kingdom Complex fire.
The incident comes after the region has experienced arid conditions and consistent triple-digit temperatures, drying out vegetation and elevating the risk of wildfires.
This week marked North Texas’ 10th-longest stretch without measurable rainfall, recorded at 46 days by Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Fire threats remain elevated as North Texas will likely see triple-digit temperatures next week. Forecasts show a high of 100 degrees for Monday through Tuesday.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
The Report’s environment coverage is supported by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.
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