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Evacuations ordered as wind-whipped Ross Fire in Texas explodes to 50,000 acres in just hours
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos • • nation
Key Points:
- The Ross Fire near Fort Worth, Texas, rapidly expanded to 50,000 acres by Tuesday, prompting evacuations and highway closures, with only 5% containment as it spread into Jack County.
- Firefighters are focusing on life safety and structure protection while working to establish containment lines; the fire's cause remains under investigation.
- In Nevada, the Hawk Fire near Reno has burned 25,000 acres, destroyed at least 32 homes, injured seven people, and led to reduced evacuations from 42,000 to 23,000 as containment increased to 27%.
- Washington is battling 15 large wildfires consuming 800,000 acres, including the Little Giant and Sinlahekin Fires, with the latter 55% contained; these fires are mostly in remote areas and not threatening homes.
- The 2024 wildfire season in Washington is the third worst since 2015 by acreage burned, with significant recent damage including $1 billion losses and over 800 homes destroyed in Spokane County.
