A wildfire in Palo Pinto County has grown to more than 4,000 acres and shut down U.S. Highway 180 Monday afternoon, county and state officials say, as more than 100 firefighters battle the flames in record heat. Danny Watkins, fire chief of Palo Pinto County ESD1, said at about 5 p.m. that they w ere first notified of the fire along U.S. 180 west of Palo Pinto at about 12:26 p.m. Watkins said crews arrived at the scene in about five minutes, but that within an hour, the fire had grown to five alarms. Nearly five hours into the fight, Watkins estimated the fire, dubbed the Ross Fire, had grown to 450 acres and was 0% contained. The Texas AM Fire Service provided its own estimate on X, saying the fire was 5% contained. State officials have joined the fight to put out the fire and are attacking it from the air with water tankers and fire retardant. Meanwhile, Watkins said firefighters on the ground are working to protect structures in the area. No evacuations have been ordered, but residents of Palo Pinto are encouraged to remain alert and to closely monitor conditions. Residents are encouraged to leave the area as a precaution, but evacuation is not mandatory. Anyone needing help evacuating can call Palo Pinto County at 940-659-2085. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed. TEXAS WILDFIRE MAPS TEXAS WILDFIRES weather Aug 7, 2022 Aerial Attack: What It Takes to Fight Texas Wildfires From the Sky Aug 9, 2022 The Push for a Permanent Air Tanker Base in Texas Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As developments unfold, elements of this story may change. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less