Ross Fire in North Texas Reaches 100% Containment After 90,000-Acre Run
The Ross Fire near Palo Pinto, Texas burned about 90,000 acres and destroyed at least 167 structures before crews fully contained it on Sept. 16.
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In 2025, fire departments serving Fabens responded to 55 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $100K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Fire, other lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 54% of all calls.
Feb peaks. Dec dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
444 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $355K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 88 | — | |
| 2022 | 103 | +17.0% | |
| 2023 | 129 | +25.2% | |
| 2024 | 69 | -46.5% | |
| 2025 | 55 | -20.3% |
For the 7 building fires Fabens departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 231 building fires investigators classified across 2021–2025. The room or location where ignition occurred — kitchens, bedrooms, exterior, vehicle areas — tells you where to focus prevention.
| # | Area of origin | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outside area, other | 66 | 28.6% | |
| 2 | Undetermined | 65 | 28.1% | |
| 3 | Other | 21 | 9.1% | |
| 4 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 17 | 7.4% | |
| 5 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 7 | 3.0% | |
| 6 | Railroad right of way: on or near | 7 | 3.0% | |
| 7 | Vehicle area, other | 6 | 2.6% | |
| 8 | Function area, other | 3 | 1.3% | |
| 9 | Cooking area, kitchen | 3 | 1.3% | |
| 10 | Bathroom, checkroom, lavatory, locker room | 3 | 1.3% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 33 | 14.3% |
NFIRS Heat Source (HEAT_SOURC) — the physical thing that started it. Spark or ember from operating equipment, an open flame, smoking materials, or hot embers from a fireplace are the leading culprits nationwide. Here's the Fabens mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 166 | 71.9% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 16 | 6.9% | |
| 3 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 6 | 2.6% | |
| 4 | Chemical reaction | 6 | 2.6% | |
| 5 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 5 | 2.2% | |
| 6 | Cigarette lighter | 5 | 2.2% | |
| 7 | Heat, spark from friction | 4 | 1.7% | |
| 8 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 3 | 1.3% | |
| 9 | Match | 3 | 1.3% | |
| 10 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 2 | 0.9% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 15 | 6.5% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Fabens departments in 2025. These 5 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $100,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $100,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $10,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $20 | Outside rubbish, trash or waste fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Fabens sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 8 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 33,364 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Natural | 14,103 | 49.0 mi | |
| 1994 | Natural | 9,000 | 40.6 mi | |
| 1993 | Natural | 8,900 | 47.1 mi | |
| 2018 | Natural | 1,050 | 45.9 mi | |
| 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 | 17.5 mi | |
| 1994 | Natural | 80 | 47.3 mi | |
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 21 | 43.9 mi | |
| 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 | 40.6 mi |
Top 5 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
Six Texas cities with population within ±25% of Fabens. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
2 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Fabens.
A 30-minute weekend can cut your home's exposure substantially. These four checklists are a good starting point.
Numbers reflect incidents reported by participating fire departments to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) Public Data Release for calendar year 2025. NFIRS is voluntary — about 23,000 of roughly 30,000 US fire departments report — so totals are a strong indicator, not a complete census. Per-capita comparisons use 2023 ACS population estimates. Wildland fire data complements NFIRS with NIFC and USFS perimeters. Active-fire counts come from a dated NIFC snapshot, not a live feed.