oday: July 14, 2006 at 7:17:36 PDT
Federal team takes over wildfire near Nevada-Utah state line
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ELY, Nev. (AP) - Federal firefighters took up the battle Friday to stop a southern Nevada wildfire that forced the closure of a state park near the Utah state line.
New aerial surveys showed the Bally Fire, about 20 miles east of Caliente, covered about 850 acres and was 50 percent contained, said Chris Hanefeld, federal Bureau of Land Management spokesman in Ely. Earlier estimates put the fire at about 1,200 acres.
Beaver Dam State Park was not in immediate danger, no injuries were reported, and no structures were threatened as flames burned through grasses, sage, pinon pine and juniper trees in eastern Lincoln County, Hanefeld said.
About 150 firefighters were digging in to contain the blaze about 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas, supported by several single-engine air tankers, Hanefeld said.
The fire was sparked by a lightning strike late Tuesday about five miles southwest of the park, Hanefeld said.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/jul/14/071410698.html
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/280/
Sawtooth Complex
Fire Behavior
Extreme fire behavior in Dry Creek and
Mission. Fire continues to push to the
south west and north west to forest
boundary. Spotting occurred.
Today's Significant Events
Firing operation proceeded through the
night, currently firing along the west
side of Yacca Valley to protect homes.
Dozers are making good progress on
line construction from Burns Canyon to
Rattlesnake to prevent the fire from
further movement to the north. The
Onyx Contingency Group is staffed and
is operating in the Onyx Peak area.
Planned Actions
Complete indirect dozer line from
Burns Canyon to Onyx Peak to the west.
Continue direct line construction on
the south side of the fire to the
Millard Complex. Mop-up and patrol
operations on the east end of the fire.
Projected Movement
The western perimeter of the fire
continues to be the priority. The fire
has now burned into a portion of the
San Bernardino Nat'l Forest. Extremely
steep rocky terrain is making access
difficult as the fire moves west. The
fire is projected to spread up to 100
feet per minute in light fuels with
spotting up to .3 miles. The Millard
and Sawtooth may have merged, to be
confirmed by air attack.
Growth Potential
Extreme
Terrain Difficulty
Extreme
Containment Target
Containment within the next burn period is unlikely.
Remarks
The Sawtooth fire is under the
management of a Unified Command
consisting of the California
Department of Forestry, San Bernardino
County Fire Department and the United
States Forest Service.