Ross Fire in Rural Texas Explodes to Over 78 Square Miles, Forcing Evacuations

The Ross Fire, which began early Monday afternoon, has charred more than 78 square miles (200 square kilometers) in less than a day across lightly populated areas in two counties in north central Texas. Fueled by whipping winds, extremely hot, and dry conditions, the fire has burned structures at a youth camp and forced evacuations and school closures. At least five structures were destroyed, and the fire was only slightly contained, with emergency officials expecting it to keep growing as temperatures rise.