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 Highland Village responded to 96 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $200K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 63% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Dec dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
482 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $1.4M cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 82 | — | |
| 2022 | 91 | +11.0% | |
| 2023 | 102 | +12.1% | |
| 2024 | 111 | +8.8% | |
| 2025 | 96 | -13.5% |
For the 20 building fires Highland Village departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 58 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 | 11 | 19.0% | |
| 2 | Cooking area, kitchen | 7 | 12.1% | |
| 3 | Outside area, other | 5 | 8.6% | |
| 4 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 4 | 6.9% | |
| 5 | Courtyard, patio, porch, terrace | 4 | 6.9% | |
| 6 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 7 | Wall assembly | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 8 | Cargo/trunk area - all vehicles | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 9 | Wildland, woods | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 10 | Bedroom - < 5 persons; included are jail or prison | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 13 | 22.4% |
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 Highland Village mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 30 | 51.7% | |
| 2 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 6 | 10.3% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 4 | Heat source: other | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 5 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 6 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 7 | Molten, hot material | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 8 | Hot ember or ash | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 9 | Cigarette | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 10 | Lightning | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 5 | 8.6% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Highland Village departments in 2025. These 7 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $200,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $150,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $50,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $5,000 | Chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $1,000 | Outside rubbish, trash or waste fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 6 | $500 | Road freight or transport vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 7 | $300 | Outside equipment fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Highland Village sits below the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 82,568 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 | 47.1 mi | |
| 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12,201 | 46.3 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6,000 | 46.5 mi | |
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5,600 | 46.0 mi | |
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,600 | 29.3 mi | |
| 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,153 | 38.3 mi | |
| 2005 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2,000 | 47.8 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,000 | 42.2 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,000 | 25.0 mi | |
| 2011 | Debris and open burning | 1,900 | 40.8 mi | |
| 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 1,700 | 44.3 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,500 | 42.1 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 Highland Village. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Highland Village.
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.