The 580-acre Mud Lake fire is expected to be surrounded by 8 p.m. today and controlled by 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch.
Crews were mopping up hot spots Monday. The bulk of the work was being done by nine handcrews, 10 fire engines, a bull dozer and three water tenders.
The Mud Lake fire has been burning three miles northeast of Woodfords on Mud Lake Road off Highway 88 since Saturday afternoon. No structures were threatened.
Crews battled the blaze near the California-Nevada border using eight brush engines, four S2 tankers, three single-engine air tankers, three helicopters, one air attack plane, one lead plane and nine hand crews.
By Monday, only two helicopters remained.
Alpine County's airport was reopened Monday after being closed through the weekend to accommodate air operations.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and is not likely connected to a rash of fires in Carson City, said Carson City Sheriff's Sgt. Bob White, a member of the Arson Task Force set up to investigate 11 fires in and around the capital city in June.