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 Parker responded to 42 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $1.0M 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 71% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Dec dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
216 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2022. $2.4M cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43 | — | |
| 2022 | 61 | +41.9% | |
| 2023 | 38 | -37.7% | |
| 2024 | 32 | -15.8% | |
| 2025 | 42 | +31.2% |
For the 7 building fires Parker departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 45 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 | 15 | 33.3% | |
| 2 | Other | 5 | 11.1% | |
| 3 | Outside area, other | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 4 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 5 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 6 | Attic: vacant, crawl space above top story, cupola | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 7 | Wildland, woods | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 8 | Interior stairway or ramp | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 9 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Function area, other | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 7 | 15.6% |
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 Parker mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 18 | 40.0% | |
| 2 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 5 | 11.1% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 4 | Lightning | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 5 | Heat source: other | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 6 | Arcing | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 7 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 8 | Molten, hot material | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 9 | Hot ember or ash | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Explosive, fireworks, other | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 4 | 8.9% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Parker departments in 2025. These 2 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000,000 | Building fires | Major | Investigated |
| 2 | $500 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Parker sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 22,798 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6,000 | 36.3 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,000 | 42.9 mi | |
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,000 | 47.8 mi | |
| 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 1,700 | 43.2 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,000 | 48.3 mi | |
| 2005 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 960 | 23.1 mi | |
| 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 700 | 49.1 mi | |
| 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | 630 | 25.7 mi | |
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 600 | 46.6 mi | |
| 2011 | Debris and open burning | 550 | 49.1 mi | |
| 2018 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 508 | 42.7 mi | |
| 2005 | Equipment and vehicle use | 500 | 48.4 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 Parker. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Parker.
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.