KRTS spoke with Jim Fowler of the Jeff Davis County Volunteer Fire Department. The Rock House Fire is currently 40% contained. The winds shifted overnight from the southwest to the north/northwest. "This is blowing smoke and ash into Fort Davis. Unfortunately, it's also pushing fire into unburned fuels, resulting in a lot of flare ups," said Fowler. Currently, they're actively working on Barry Scobee Mountain.
Currently, no residential areas are threatened. Fowler addressed rumors circulating earlier today in Fort Davis of an evacuation order, but Fowler said there isn't one, and that it'd be highly unlikely at this point. There are a few isolated structures threatened on ranches, and crews are working to defend those now.
Working on the fire today are our local volunteer fire departments, along with crews from Fort Stockton and Buda, along with the Texas Forest and the National Forest Service.
Officials are now upping their estimate of burned acreage to 80,000 to 100,000 acres.
The Roper Fire, burning east of Alpine near the 67/90 split, is 70% contained. That fire started Saturday near the Sul Ross State University Range Animal Science complex during an event. According to Ray Hendryx of KVLF-AM and KALP-FM in Alpine, that fire may have been caused my a flicked cigarette.