State and North Texas officials determined the Ross Fire was 鈥渉uman-caused,鈥� 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鈥檚 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 , The Dallas Morning News reported.
Nine out of 10 wildfires are , according to the forest service. That includes vehicles, welding, burning of debris and other equipment use.
The near U.S. Highway 180 in Palo Pinto County when the forest service was first requested to respond to the site, where had already burned. It grew to burn by the following day, spreading to Jack County.
As of Thursday, the fire has burned 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 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 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鈥� 10th-longest , recorded at 46 days by Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Fire threats remain elevated as North Texas will likely see . 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鈥檚 environment coverage is supported by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a .
