Rockwall County's emergency management office is helping coordinate the response to the Ross Fire, an 85,000-acre wildfire burning about 100 miles west of Dallas.
The Rockwall County Office of Emergency Management (RCOEM) released a statement Saturday, Aug. 29. The county's emergency management coordinator has been working alongside the Palo Pinto County emergency management coordinator and county judge through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Incident Support Task Force.
The fire has burned across Palo Pinto and Jack counties.
RCOEM listed several specific contributions. The office trained Palo Pinto County staff on federal reimbursement processes so eligible expenses can be recovered after the fire is contained. It coordinated with the local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent to line up resources for livestock owners and ranchers affected by the blaze. And it helped build a semi-permanent cooling shelter for Palo Pinto County ESD-1 command staff working in extreme heat.
RCOEM also said it worked with local leadership to develop a priority action list and prepare for an extension of the disaster declaration.
Jarod Rosson serves as Rockwall County's emergency management coordinator. The county's statement did not name the coordinator deployed to Palo Pinto County.
The fire
The Ross Fire ignited near the community of Ross in Palo Pinto County just before 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, and was initially estimated at 25 acres, CBS News Texas reported. It grew rapidly.
By Saturday, Aug. 29, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported the fire had reached 85,303 acres and was 31% contained. About 200 firefighters and other personnel were assigned to the blaze as of Friday, Aug. 28, according to the Marshall News Messenger. Five structures were lost, Palo Pinto County officials said.
The Texas Tribune reported the Ross Fire is the second-largest wildfire in the Dallas-Fort Worth area's recorded history. It trails only the Possum Kingdom Complex Fire, which burned 126,734 acres in April 2011.
Palo Pinto County Judge Shane Long declared a local disaster Aug. 26. The same day, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that FEMA had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant. The grant makes the state eligible for 75% reimbursement of suppression costs, KERA News reported. As of that date, 630 households had been evacuated.
"It's a large impact on our county, our citizens, but neighbors are helping neighbors," Long told the Marshall News Messenger on Friday, Aug. 28.
The fire remained active as of Aug. 29, with no announced timeline for full containment. Residents can follow updates on the Rockwall County government website.
