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 Tornillo responded to 22 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $400 building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Passenger vehicle fire lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 50% of all calls.
Jan peaks. Oct dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
150 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $400 cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32 | — | |
| 2022 | 36 | +12.5% | |
| 2023 | 37 | +2.8% | |
| 2024 | 23 | -37.8% | |
| 2025 | 22 | -4.3% |
For the 0 building fires Tornillo departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 80 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 | 28 | 35.0% | |
| 2 | Outside area, other | 19 | 23.8% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 7 | 8.8% | |
| 4 | Vehicle area, other | 6 | 7.5% | |
| 5 | Other | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 6 | Exterior, exposed surface | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Railroad right of way: on or near | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Cargo/trunk area - all vehicles | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 10 | Vacant structural area | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 4 | 5.0% |
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 Tornillo mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 56 | 70.0% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 4 | 5.0% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 4 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 6 | Heat, spark from friction | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 7 | Chemical reaction | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 8 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 1 | 1.2% | |
| 9 | Arcing | 1 | 1.2% | |
| 10 | Explosive, fireworks, other | 1 | 1.2% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 5 | 6.2% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Tornillo departments in 2025. These 1 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $400 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Tornillo sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 4 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 9,231 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Natural | 9,000 | 44.9 mi | |
| 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 | 23.6 mi | |
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 21 | 50.0 mi | |
| 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 | 46.6 mi |
Top 2 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 Tornillo. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
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.