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 Groesbeck responded to 122 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $40K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Grass fire lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 70% of all calls.
Oct peaks. Feb dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
784 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2021. $1.3M cumulative property loss. 3 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 181 | — | |
| 2022 | 177 | -2.2% | |
| 2023 | 146 | -17.5% | |
| 2024 | 158 | +8.2% | |
| 2025 | 122 | -22.8% |
For the 2 building fires Groesbeck departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 313 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 | Undetermined | 130 | 41.5% | |
| 2 | Outside area, other | 53 | 16.9% | |
| 3 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 32 | 10.2% | |
| 4 | Wildland, woods | 18 | 5.8% | |
| 5 | Other | 16 | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Vehicle area, other | 11 | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 9 | 2.9% | |
| 8 | Cooking area, kitchen | 6 | 1.9% | |
| 9 | Highway, parking lot, street: on or near | 6 | 1.9% | |
| 10 | Equipment or service area, other | 3 | 1.0% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 29 | 9.3% |
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 Groesbeck mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 221 | 70.6% | |
| 2 | Arcing | 12 | 3.8% | |
| 3 | Heat source: other | 11 | 3.5% | |
| 4 | Hot ember or ash | 10 | 3.2% | |
| 5 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 9 | 2.9% | |
| 6 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 6 | 1.9% | |
| 7 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 5 | 1.6% | |
| 8 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 5 | 1.6% | |
| 9 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 5 | 1.6% | |
| 10 | Cigarette lighter | 4 | 1.3% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 25 | 8.0% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Groesbeck departments in 2025. These 5 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $40,000 | Cultivated vegetation, crop fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $10,000 | Mobile property (vehicle) fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $7,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $3,000 | Road freight or transport vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $200 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Groesbeck sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 20,956 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4,689 | 30.0 mi | |
| 2011 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 3,000 | 17.5 mi | |
| 2011 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 2,350 | 33.6 mi | |
| 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,100 | 49.7 mi | |
| 2017 | Debris and open burning | 1,000 | 49.9 mi | |
| 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 900 | 18.2 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 800 | 43.8 mi | |
| 1996 | Arson/incendiarism | 600 | 35.4 mi | |
| 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 600 | 46.7 mi | |
| 1996 | Debris and open burning | 600 | 36.6 mi | |
| 2011 | Equipment and vehicle use | 400 | 49.3 mi | |
| 2005 | Debris and open burning | 400 | 16.2 mi |
Top 4 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 Groesbeck. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
2 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Groesbeck.
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.