Sierra-Tahoe Complex fires finally fully contained

Crews worked overnight to finish off the 200-acre Flint fire near the Carson City Landfill. Sunday night also marked full containment of the Sierra-Tahoe Complex fires that burned 13,323 acres in Northern Nevada in the past week.

The Flint fire started just before noon on Sunday at the Carson Rifle Range, and is believed to be human-caused. If an investigation finds the fire was caused by firearms discharge, the shooters may not be held criminally negligent for the blaze because firing weapons on the range is a lawful activity, said Sierra Front Fire Information Officer Elayn Briggs.

The preliminary estimate on the total cost to fight the fire was $100,000, she said.

More than 120 personnel from Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Division of Forestry, and the Carson City, Central Lyon County, East Fork, Mason Valley and North Lyon County fire departments battled the blaze.

Crews remained on scene Monday to mop up and put out hot spots.

The Sierra-Tahoe Complex fires consisted of 16 fires from Boomtown to Pyramid Lake to Silver Springs to Carson City and back up the Sierra front. They were fought by 185 firefighters and cost about $4.5 million. The Great Basin Type I Incident Management Team returned the complex back over to local agencies at 6 a.m. Monday.

The Sierra-Tahoe Complex fires included the 5,863-acre Linehan fire, located northeast of Carson City, and the 4,600-acre Virginia fire. The 1,809-acre Balls Canyon Fire was the last to be completely contained because of the heavier fuels involved.

The parking lot just west of the Navy JROTC building and East Robinson Road from the beginning of the Navy JROTC parking lot on the south side of Carson High School are closed to the public today.

The Sierra-Tahoe Fire Complex Incident Command Post will remain in the high school and Navy JROTC buildings through Wednesday. The parking lots just west of the Navy JROTC parking lot will be open to the public for tonight's fireworks show.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.

Fire restrictions prohibit:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire or stove fire except a portable stove using gas or pressurized liquid fuel, outside a developed fee campground or picnic area (except by permit).

• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or at a developed campground or picnic area.

• Welding or operating an acetylene torch with open flames, except by permit.

• Using or causing to be used an explosive, except by permit.

• Possession or use of fireworks, tracer rounds, steel-core ammunition or any other incendiary device.

• Open burning, including of weeds, brush or yard debris.

Restrictions are in effect for all BLM, National Forest Service and Nevada Division of Forestry lands in western Nevada. This includes all areas within the Sierra Forest Fire Protection District.

Check posted regulations at campsites for additional restrictions.

Those who do not comply with these and posted regulations are subject to a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment up to six months in jail or both, and is a class B misdemeanor.