Smoke from Ross Fire drifts into Stephens County as firefighters continue to battle wildfire
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
Many Stephens County residents woke up this morning to smoke drifting across the area, but the Breckenridge Fire Department assured the community on Facebook that the smoke is from the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack counties and there are no fires in Stephens County at this time.
The winds, which had been from the southwest and northwest over the past few days, shifted to out of the northeast early this morning, although it has been relatively calm weather today.
This morning, the Ross Fire, which started in Palo Pinto County on Monday afternoon, was still listed on the Texas A&M Forest Service websites as having burned 80,000 acres with 12% containment, although those are the same numbers that were announced on Wednesday, and the fire has continued to burn. Officials said they were working to get updated numbers. Shortly before noon today, Thursday, Aug. 27, the website Watch Duty reported that the fire size is at “92,568.3 acres per the perimeter uploaded to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).”
“Today, we are expecting a wind shift, so crucially prioritizing efforts on the west side of the fire, protecting the areas of Possum Kingdom Lake and the communities along Highway 16 there,” Adam Turner, public information officer with Texas A&M Forest Service, said at a news conference in Palo Pinto this morning. “That does not mean that resources have left the rest of the fire. There are resources engaged on all areas of the fire, working to construct containment lines and mop up any areas of heat that they can find around there.”
Firefighters from the Breckenridge Fire Department and Stephens County’s Hubbard Creek, Caddo and Wayland volunteer fire departments have been helping fight the wildfire.
At the news conference this morning, Palo Pinto Sheriff Shane Long said the county appreciates all of the assistance from the area and across the state in fighting the fire, as well as for the donations that have been made.
“It’s a large impact on our county, our citizens. But neighbors are helping neighbors, and everybody’s doing a really good job pulling together,” Long said. “And I can’t say enough about the support that we’ve received as far as donations and support coming in from all over the state, and even out of state, and have resources coming in from other states. It’s been a great response, and we certainly appreciate all the help that has been given.”
The dining hall at Worth Ranch was destroyed, along with several other buildings on the Scouting America campground in Palo Pinto County. (Photo courtesy of the Longhorn Council/Scouting America)
Although a lot of the livestock in the fire zone has been evacuated, Long said some cattle and wildlife, such as deer, have been killed by the wildfire. Additionally, he said the fire has destroyed several structures in the area but that officials don’t have an exact number yet.
Scouting America’s Longhorn Council has said that many of the buildings on the Worth Ranch scout camp have been destroyed, including the camp’s dining hall and ranger’s residence. The camp was founded almost 100 years ago and has been known for its historic stone and petrified wood buildings. More information is available on the Worth Ranch website.
Turner said no injuries have been reported in the fire, and Amy Meyer, the public relations manager for the Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District No. 1, as well as the publisher of the Mineral Wells Area News, said the firefighters are typically working 16-hour shifts. On Wednesday, many of the volunteers and state firefighters took on most of the work to allow the Palo Pinto County firefighters a chance to rest and recover.
Some rain did move through Palo Pinto County and parts of Stephens and Young counties about noon today, but the storms were fast-moving and not expected to provide much relief from the fire.
For continued up-to-date information about the fire, check out the Palo Pinto County ESD1’s Facebook page, as well as the Texas Forest Service and Watch Duty.
Cutline, top photo: A helicopter drops water on the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County on August 26. The wildfire is estimated to have burned more than 92,000 acres. (Photo courtesy of A. Turner/Texas A&M Forest Service)
