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 Gunter responded to 30 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $80K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Building fires lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 80% of all calls.
Jul peaks. May dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
109 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2025. $315K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 | — | |
| 2022 | 18 | +5.9% | |
| 2023 | 18 | +0.0% | |
| 2024 | 26 | +44.4% | |
| 2025 | 30 | +15.4% |
For the 14 building fires Gunter departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 7 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 | Bedroom - < 5 persons; included are jail or prison | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 2 | Laundry area, wash house (laundry) | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 4 | Equipment or service area, other | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 5 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 6 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 7 | Undetermined | 1 | 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 Gunter mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 4 | 57.1% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 4 | Lightning | 1 | 14.3% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Gunter departments in 2025. These 2 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $80,000 | Mobile property (vehicle) fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $25,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Gunter sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 73,006 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 31,419 | 45.7 mi | |
| 2005 | Arson/incendiarism | 10,000 | 35.7 mi | |
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5,600 | 23.3 mi | |
| 1996 | Arson/incendiarism | 3,119 | 46.7 mi | |
| 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3,000 | 32.4 mi | |
| 1996 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,584 | 45.2 mi | |
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,000 | 40.4 mi | |
| 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 1,700 | 14.5 mi | |
| 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,680 | 42.9 mi | |
| 2005 | Debris and open burning | 1,300 | 49.5 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,000 | 31.8 mi | |
| 2005 | Arson/incendiarism | 1,000 | 32.9 mi |
Top 7 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 Gunter. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Gunter.
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.