by Ismael M. Belkoura, Fort Worth Report
September 4, 2026
As the Ross Fire continues to burn in Palo Pinto and Jack counties, nonprofit officials have begun raising funds to help support affected families and ranchers.
The Ross Fire disaster relief effort is being spearheaded by United Way of Palo Pinto County. The nonprofit is in charge of both receiving funds and leading case management efforts for individuals affected by the North Texas fire.
Executive director Hannah Burkhall told the Fort Worth Report earlier in the week that she hoped to have a better understanding of what the affected residents need when the fire has died down. As of Sept. 3, 38% of the fire has been contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
“In the next few weeks, I think we’ll have a really good idea of what those needs are,” Burkhall said.
Those looking to support victims of the Ross Fire can send donation relief here.
The Ross Fire has affected ranchers heavily, Burkhall said. She said several barns, hay supplies and vast stretches of land were damaged. The fire also killed livestock.
Although money is the primary request currently, Burkhall said materials and items that will be needed include fencing materials, tee posts, wires, gloves and power tools.
Immediate support from United Way for fire damage victims included hotel stays and reimbursement for lost food and clothing.
She also said the effort to replace hay and animal feed is being led by Rancher Navy, a nonprofit that supports agricultural communities for disaster relief.
“There’s going to be a lot of things that look different in long-term recovery for this particular disaster,” Burkhall said. “Having some flexibility and how we’re able to help those families is going to be our biggest need.”
Those in need of financial support should ask for relief here.
The Ross Fire began Aug. 24 near U.S. Highway 180 in Palo Pinto County. When the forest service first responded, 80 acres had already burned. It grew to burn 50,000 acres by the following day, spreading to Jack County.
Currently, over 90,000 acres have been burned due to the Ross Fire. The disaster destroyed 167 structures, including 18 occupied structures, according to the forest service. First responders have saved 453 threatened structures as of Sept. 4.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Aug. 25 that the state had received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA. The state is eligible through the grant for a 75% reimbursement from the federal government in costs made to suppress the wildfire.
United Way of Palo Pinto County began leading disaster relief efforts in the area after a tornado caused damage in Mineral Wells and surrounding areas in May. The Texas Division of Emergency Management then asked the nonprofit to spearhead relief work, Burkhall said.
The nonprofit ended up distributing over $300,000 to 65 families affected by the tornado. Burkhall is not yet sure how many families will need support for damages caused by the wildfire.
“There are a lot of great agencies and people pulling together to help bring in some resources for this immediate need,” Burkhall said. “The first couple weeks is the immediate stuff, and then it’s planning out the long term.”
Ismael M. Belkoura is the nonprofit editor for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from North Texas Community Foundation. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org.
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This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
