Plane gathers water from lake to tackle 50,000-acre Ross Fire
A firefighting plane was seen gathering water from a lake in Texas as a 50,000-acre wildfire raged in Palo Pinto County. Local resident Paris Eichman captured the video of firefighting efforts on Monday, August 24, and said it was filmed at Lake Palo Pinto. “I watched them get water from the lake and fly out to disperse the water on to flames over and over again,” Eichman wrote on Facebook . “Firefighting is not for the weak. Praying and having faith, that’s all we can do right now.” The Ross Fire broke out on Monday and by Tuesday it had ballooned to 50,000 acres and was 5 percent contained. Credit: Paris Eichman via Storyful
- The Ross Fire has burned at least 50,000 acres in Palo Pinto County, Texas.
- Evacuation alerts were issued in neighboring Jack County as the fire grew rapidly.
- Crews are battling the blaze amid dangerous fire conditions including high temperatures and strong winds.
- As of 6 a.m. Aug. 25, the fire was reported to be 5% contained.
The Ross Fire has burned at least 50,000 acres in Palo Pinto County, damaging several structures and prompting an overnight evacuation alert in neighboring Jack County.
Fire crews are using dozers and aircraft to protect structures and battle the blaze. Highway 180 is closed between S FM 4 and FM 919, while a temporary flight restriction is in effect over the fire area.
The Ross Fire is among several wildfires burning west of Interstate 35 as extremely dry fuels, high temperatures and strong winds create dangerous fire conditions across North Texas.
Ross Fire size and containment
The fire began the afternoon of Aug. 24 near Ross and quickly grew from about 25 acres to 50,000 acres as hot, dry and windy conditions fueled the flames. As of 6 a.m. Aug. 25, the Texas A&M Forest Service said the fire was 5% contained.
Palo Pinto wildfire smoke map tracker
Where is the Ross Fire?
The Ross Fire sparked just west of Palo Pinto, a small unincorporated town about 80 miles west of Fort Worth.
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Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.