Lauren Caruba, Lana Ferguson

The Dallas Morning News

(TNS)

Aug. 25—PALO PINTO — Long plumes of gray smoke spread across an overcast sky Tuesday afternoon as crews battled a rapidly growing wildfire fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions.

What started midday Monday as a grass fire had grown to the raging Ross wildfire by Tuesday morning, consuming an estimated 50,000 acres and destroying at least five structures in Palo Pinto and Jack counties. The largest of 11 wildfires blazing across Texas on Tuesday, the Ross fire forced school closures and the evacuation of around 630 homes. It was 8% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Laura Stevens, a spokesperson for the forest service, said the burgeoning Ross fire exhibited "extreme fire behavior" from Monday to Tuesday as it spread.

Related:Texas wildfires: What to know about damage and evacuations

As the summer wildfire season escalated in Texas this week, Gov. Greg Abbott's office announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency's approval of a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support efforts to suppress the Ross fire and mitigate its damage.

The governor's office said other resources were available to support the fire suppression efforts, including activation of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System and deployment of Texas National Guard Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters with firefighting capabilities.

No deaths have been reported.

With blistering heat and dry conditions persisting across North Texas and the rest of the state, local officials expected fire conditions to worsen. Firefighting crews, including the Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District's 11 volunteer fire departments, could be battling the blaze for days, officials said.

"As the day goes by and it gets hotter, you're going to start to see a lot more fire activity because it's just an inferno out there," Amy Meyer, a spokesperson for the district, told The Dallas Morning News.

The Fort Worth/Dallas Office of the National Weather Service on Tuesday reported dangerous heat, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees across much of the region. The weather service advised against activities that could spark new fires, such as tossing lit cigarettes on the ground, dragging tow chains and driving over tall grass. The heat is anticipated to lessen some by midweek, with a chance of isolated storms on Wednesday and Thursday.

Across North Texas, firefighters also responded to smaller wildfires that have been stoked by the scorching summer heat.

Other fires across North Texas

In Decatur, the Pecan Fire burned across nearly 60 acres and was 95% contained, the forest service reported. One abandoned structure was destroyed and no injuries were reported, said Jeff Smith, division chief of operations for the Decatur Fire Department.

The Cuttin fire, a smaller fire in Parker County, south of Weatherford, was also almost fully contained.

The forest service plans to turn the Decatur fire back over to the local fire department so its crews are available to respond to new fires expected to ignite across the region over the next week, said Carson Beard, a Texas A&M Forest Service task force coordinator.

"With several other larger fires in the area, there's a lot of resources that are tied up," Beard said.

Stevens, the fire service spokesperson, said this year's summer fire season was slightly delayed by large amounts of rainfall in late May and June. Since then, there has been little rain across much of Texas as temperatures have climbed into the triple digits and humidity has decreased. Those conditions, combined with extremely dry vegetation and wind gusts, Stevens said, make fires much more likely to spark and spread.

'This fire is a monster'

In Palo Pinto, a helicopter flew past an orange water tower toward the fire as first responders gathered at the Dempsey Facility. At least one road near the town square was blocked to traffic. Multiple trailers carrying horses and cattle were headed in the opposite direction, away from the fire.

Meyer described the blaze like a scene from a movie. The conditions were treacherous, she said, with firefighters having to pull back at times.

"We have strike teams from all over that are going in and going to try to get this under control but we will be here for many days," Meyer said. "I've never seen a fire grow exponentially this fast in this short amount of hours. It's insane. This fire is a monster."

Related:As wildfires rage in western NTX, D-FW air quality to take a hit

Meyer compared the Ross fire to the 2011 Possum Kingdom Complex fire, which burned for more than a month across 125,000 acres and destroyed more than 100 buildings before it was contained, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

In Denton County, the sheriff's office advised residents that they would likely smell smoke in the air due to the ongoing fire activity. The office encouraged the public to remain alert and report new fires.

Related: Texas wildfires: What to pack in your 'go kit' to prepare for evacuation

Helping Palo Pinto

The parking lot of Jack Rabbit Corner in Graford was a busy meeting spot Tuesday afternoon. State troopers and the Texas Department of Transportation blocked multiple roads surrounding the gas station and convenience store. The smell of smoke lingered in the air.

A group of Graford residents set up a makeshift donation station where, within a few hours, they had several plastic bins filled with essential supplies, like socks, T-shirts, deodorant and nonperishable food.

Related:Map: See where wildfires are burning across Texas

In the early afternoon, firefighters lined up to grab a slice of pizza from a tall stack of boxes in the bed of a pickup. Nearby, trucks from several fire departments filled up on gas before heading back toward the flames.

Cassie Hall, who helped organize the effort, said she and others felt called to serve their neighbors, and this was a way they knew they could do so.

"We've been through fires before out here," Hall said. "This community is generous in every capacity. Everyone wants to feel useful because we feel so helpless. This fire is a monster."

Reporters Jacquelyn Burrer and Timia Cobb contributed reporting.

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