Forest Service contains wildfire south of Cassville

Rolla, Mo., (Nov. 18, 2025) — USDA Forest Service firefighters worked late into the night, responding to a forest fire.

Initially estimated at 50 acres yesterday morning, the fire grew to a few hundred acres in steep, rugged terrain that posed significant risk to firefighters.

Nearby roads were utilized as control lines to halt the fire’s progress. Once a line was established around the fire’s perimeter, the crews utilized an operational tactic called a burnout to clear away flammable material between the containment line and the wildfire’s spreading edges.

This successfully stopped the 1039 Fire’s growth, leaving a final footprint of about 1,220 acres.

Firefighters will continue to monitor the area and work from the containment line to catch any flare-ups. The fire area has been temporarily closed for public safety. Because of the potential of dead trees falling and hot ash pits, only fire responders are allowed in the area.

The closure order will be posted on the Mark Twain National Forest website at fs.usda.gov/r09/marktwain