Virginia City watches Six Mile Canyon burn

A fire in Six Mile Canyon east of Virginia City had burned about 250 acres on Flowery Peak by 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when a backfire set by firefighters at Seven Mile Canyon helped knock it down.

It posed no threat to Virginia City residents.

The fire began adjacent to the city's sewer treatment plant and was reported about 4:45 p.m. It was burning in sagebrush away from the plant and the historic mining town.

Gusting winds of 15-25 mph moved the fire up Flowery Peak, but no structures were threatened and no injuries reported.

"We sent a lot of resources that way, a lot of aircraft," said Christie Kalkowski, public affairs officer for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

A hand crew pulled from the Robb fire west of Reno and a hot-shot crew from the Tahoe National Forest joined the Storey County paid and volunteer fire departments, the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Department of Forestry.

Probably the closest civilian to the blaze was Larry Williamson, the caretaker for the St. Mary's Art Center east of town.

"Boy, it hits those pi-ons and cedars and just explodes," he said, watching a black mushroom of smoke protrude over the ridge. "See, there's another one. It just really roars up the canyons."

Although the cause of the fire was still under investigation Tuesday night, Williamson figures somebody tossed burning material out the window of a car near the treatment plant.

"Yep, I'll bet somebody just chucked a cigarette out the window," he said. "It doesn't take much in this wind. God I hate to see it burning."

As aircraft growled low overhead, he said, "It's the kind of excitement I wish we didn't have."

In all, 150 firefighters, 20 fire engines, six water tenders, three handcrews, two bulldozers, two single-engine air tankers, one helicopter and one large airtanker and were fighting the Six Mile fire.

At times the aircraft flew close together, but Nevada Division of Forestry helicopter pilot Nick Lopes said the aircraft were well coordinated.

"We're all talking to each other up there so we know where we all are," he said while his craft was being refueled at the Storey County Transfer Station.

Despite the long stretches of brush his water drops extinguished, Lopes remained modest.

"We're nothing more than a support role up there."

Kalkowski said the fire was fanned by afternoon winds, growing from 10 acres at 5:10 p.m. to 30 acres, including a 15-acre spot fire northeast across the canyon on Flowery Peak. By 6:40 p.m. fire officials reported a 100-acre fire, and that grew another 100 acres by 7:30 p.m. and 50 more acres by 8:30 p.m.

The weather forecast for Tuesday night called for winds up to 25 mph and temperatures in the mid 50s to 60s.

Kalkowski said two weeks ago a fire caused by shooting practice started nearby.

West of Reno, the Robb fire burning since Monday afternoon was 2,196 acres at 8 p.m. Officials expected 90 percent containment by 8 a.m. and control by 8 p.m. Thursday.

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