Ross Fire smoke cuts air quality in Fort Worth as 2026 US wildfire acreage hits 163% of the 10-year average
Smoke from the Ross Fire near Fort Worth has already cut air quality in the city. The blaze has burned over 85,000 acres since Monday and was 31% contained Friday. US wildfires this year have burned 163% of the 10-year average acreage. Per Meteored.
Smoke from the Ross Fire, burning about 50 miles northwest of Fort Worth, has already reached the city and reduced local air quality. The fire ignited Monday and has charred more than 85,000 acres, with containment at 31% as of Friday. Residents near the blaze have been advised to evacuate as a precaution. The fire is unfolding against a fast-worsening drought. Just over 57% of Texas is now in at least moderate drought, up from about 36% a week earlier, and outdoor burn bans cover most of the state. Nationally, US crews have responded to 51,629 wildfires that have burned 7.9 million acres so far in 2026, 127% of the 10-year average for the number of fires and 163% of the average for acreage, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The heat driving the drought has been extreme in its own right. Phoenix hit 117 degrees Wednesday, tying a record set in 2011, and Houston logged seven straight days at or above 100 degrees. At the peak of the week's heat, extreme heat warnings covered close to 44 million people across five states and Puerto Rico. The acreage figure is the one to watch: at 163% of the historical average with four months of the year still ahead, containment resources nationwide are being stretched faster than in a typical fire season. Per Meteored, citing the National Interagency Fire Center and National Weather Service.