09/04/2026
TEXAS WILDFIRE CREWS MAKE HISTORY ON ROSS FIRE
Texas firefighters used a new tactic for the first time in state history while battling the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County.
On August 31, ground crews with the Texas A&M Forest Service successfully applied fire retardant from the ground as part of wildfire suppression operations. The same type of retardant is commonly dropped from firefighting aircraft, but officials say this was the first ground-based application of its kind in Texas.
Firefighters used a Type 3 wildland engine to lay retardant along approximately 4.5 miles of Highway 16, between Red Bluff Road and Highway 254.
The tactic allowed crews to establish a line in areas where dense vegetation, narrow roads, and hazards such as power lines made aerial operations difficult. The retardant was used as a contingency holding line, designed to slow or stop the fire if conditions changed and fire behavior intensified.
Texas A&M Forest Service officials called the operation a milestone for wildfire response in the state, giving firefighters another tool to protect communities and infrastructure when traditional aerial operations may be limited.
