Updated on: August 27, 2026 / 10:25 PM EDT
/ CBS Texas
A wildfire that sparked near Ross in Palo Pinto County on Monday afternoon has grown to at least 85,000 acres and is 26% contained as of Thursday night, forcing evacuations in neighboring Jack County and affecting local schools, officials in North Texas said.
The National Weather Service says the Ross Fire is now the second-largest wildfire in North Texas.
The Ross Fire has burned at least 85,000 acres in Palo Pinto and Jack counties, with the fire burning near U.S. 180 and FM 919.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the fire was 26% contained as of Thursday.
Residents in Jack County along County Road 2210 toward Highway 281 were instructed to evacuate on Tuesday; however, those mandatory evacuations were lifted on Wednesday morning as conditions improved. Jack County Emergency Management warns returning residents to stay vigilant as the fire is still burning in neighboring Palo Pinto County.
The fire began near Ross in Palo Pinto County just before 1:30 p.m. Monday and was initially estimated at 25 acres, according to the Palo Pinto County Emergency Service District. It rapidly expanded to thousands of acres.
Damage to four or five structures has been reported, and more structures remain at risk.
The Longhorn Council of Scouting America said many buildings at Worth Ranch in Palo Pinto have suffered catastrophic damage, but no scouts, campers or guests were at the property when the fire moved into the area, and the camp ranger, Pat Adams, was safely evacuated.
The wildfire and evacuations are affecting schools in the area. Jacksboro ISD delayed the start of school by two hours on Tuesday, but normal operations resumed on Wednesday.
Perrin CISD canceled classes for Tuesday and delayed the start of school to 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, Jack County Emergency Management instructed Bryson ISD and Graford ISD to cancel classes for the day.
A Molson Coors spokesperson said Wednesday the company has temporarily paused some canning lines at the Fort Worth facility out of an abundance of caution over the smoky skies.
"But beer lovers will see absolutely no impact," the spokesperson said.
The Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) Strike Team, along with the Texas A&M Forest Service, is supporting firefighting efforts with dozers and aircraft.
