Crews battle 8,700-acre Dry River Fire and multiple blazes across Texas amid heat
Dry River Fire in Sutton County, Texas
A large airtanker drops retardant on the 7,000-acre Dry River Fire in Sutton County on Sept. 16, 2026. Video courtesy of T. Tilmon. Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service. Posted by Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service on Wednesday, September 16, 2026
SONORA, Texas - State firefighting resources remained stretched across Texas as the Texas A&M Forest Service received eight new requests for wildfire assistance over a 24-hour period, burning more than 600 additional acres.
Dry River fire in Sonora, Texas
What we know:
Among the active incidents drawing heavy state and local response is the Dry River Fire in Sutton County, which has grown to 8,761 acres with 30% containment. Sparked under elevated fire conditions on September 15 west of Sonora, the blaze prompted temporary closures on Sutton County Road 104 and Ranch Road 1989 before those routes reopened to traffic.
Crews on the Dry River Fire spent recent days constructing dozer and indirect containment lines while monitoring smoke impacts near Interstate 10. No injuries or structural losses have been reported, and no evacuations are currently in place.
Firefighters battle active 8,700-acre Dry River wildfire in Sutton County
The active Dry River Fire in Sutton County has burned 8,761 acres and is 30% contained as emergency crews continue firefighting efforts.
Ross Fire update
Meanwhile, a massive milestone was reached further north as crews finally achieved 100% containment on the historic Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack counties. After burning 89,989 acres over three weeks and destroying 167 structures, firefighters successfully eliminated all fuel along the perimeter of the second-largest wildfire in the region's recent history.
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Hydra Fire tracker: Latest acreage, containment and map
The Hydra Fire in Texas is a wildfire that started in Bosque County on Monday, south of the town of Meridian.
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported several other notable active fires burning across the state under unseasonably hot and dry weather conditions, including:
- Clark Fire (Edwards County): 1,523 acres, 20% contained
- Hydra Fire (Bosque County): 1,100 acres, 35% contained
- Lobo Fire (Eastland County): 658 acres, 75% contained
- Breezy Fire (Starr County): 500 acres, 50% contained
- Medusa Draw Fire (Sutton County): 50 acres, 45% contained
State officials noted that several smaller-scale fires across Marion, Morris, Cass, Wichita, Rusk, Panola, Blanco, Fannin, and Clay counties were successfully contained over the past 48 hours. Fire authorities continue to urge caution statewide, as high temperatures and low relative humidity maintain an elevated risk of new ignitions.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Texas A&M Forest Service, the National Weather Service, and The Sonora, Texas Volunteer Fire Department.