The recent wildfire in Palo Pinto County, dubbed the 1148 Fire by the Texas A&M Forest Service, was caused by an open trash container whose contents ignited, according to an open letter from Possum Kingdom West Volunteer Fire Department. The fire destroyed five homes and burned 457 acres of land, according to the forest service. According to the open letter, wind blew the lid off a trash container that held glass bottles, paper goods and food. Sunlight magnified by the glass bottles hit the other contents of the trash can and heated them until they reached “ignition temperature.”
