UPDATE: Hundreds of people have been allowed to return home after being forced to flee a wildfire west of Reno that also shut down Interstate 80 along the California-Nevada line.
The fire broke out Sunday evening and burned through about one square mile of brush and timber. As many as 27,000 NV Energy customers didn’t have power at one point Sunday night.
But by Tuesday it had been restored to all but about a dozen. No one was seriously injured.
The fire was 8 percent contained Tuesday, according to the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Multiple agencies are fighting the quickly-growing Gold Ranch Fire just west of Reno, alongside the town of Verdi.
Update: the #GoldRanchFire is burning at 650 acres. As of right now, all travel lanes of I-80 are open. Continue to follow our page and @TMFPD for updates as they happen.
— Reno Fire Department (@RenoFireDept) August 12, 2024
For an updated evacuation list, please visit: https://t.co/RDNMLdSYeg pic.twitter.com/9BQKzJbigC
The fire broke out on Sunday at 6 p.m., believed to have been caused by a car fire on I-80 near the state border, and then spread to brush near the Gold Ranch Casino. Thousands in Reno were without power on Sunday night due to the fire. Classes were canceled at Verdi Elementary School.
The fire has spread to 500 acres and was at 0% containment on Monday afternoon. Officials said one home had been burned but crews made progress through the night. Another 400 homes remain under threat.
In Southern Nevada, two fires are burning in the Spring Mountains, believed to have been caused by lightning strikes.
Aerial flight mapping the #TroughSpringsFire, which is actually 236 acres, but still remains within the controlled area created by the initial retardant lines. The fire is located in the Wheeler Pass area northeast of #Pahrump, #Nevada. @GoMtCharleston pic.twitter.com/ZXWTItIH9U
— Humboldt Toiyabe NF (@HumboldtToiyabe) August 12, 2024
Clark County released the following statement on Monday:
The Clark County Fire Department has deployed water tenders from Blue Diamond, Indian Springs, and the Las Vegas valley to support the fire response to both the Jaybird and Trough Springs fires in the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area. These fires are located on both sides of Wheeler Pass North of Indian Springs and East of Pahrump. They are being managed by the US Forest Service.
Helicopters are using Heliwells to fill their baskets to release over the fire. These Heliwells were filled from a water shuttle operation conducted by water tenders. Additionally, crews from Cold Creek secured the lower pond in that community and evacuated recreation users of the pond so helicopters could safely work at that natural water source. The Clark County Fire Department is willing and capable when our federal partners request assistance to help preserve the public lands we all enjoy.
Both fires are suspected to have been caused by lightning strikes after our increase in monsoon activity over the past few days. The expected drying trend this week raises the likelihood these fires may flare up again, which is why crews have been working aggressively to fight these fires while conditions are favorable.Clark County
