Lightning starts fire east of Reno

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

Three lightning-caused fires east of Reno near the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center off Interstate 80 merged into one Friday night. The Olinghouse fire had burned 350 acres, primarily in grass, as of 9 p.m.

Storey County and Nevada Division of Forestry units, with assistance from Reno Fire Department and Bureau of Land Management crews, battled the fire with 11 engines, four water tenders and two handcrews. Three additional crews and two bulldozers were requested to work the blaze overnight with aircraft ordered for Saturday.

One structure was reported threatened.

As of 11 p.m., there was no estimate of containment.

- A small wildland fire burning half way up Jobs Peak on the west side of Carson Valley Friday evening was expected to be visible through the night.

As of 9 p.m., the Fay-Luther fire, named after the trail off Foothill Road south of Genoa, was estimated to be approximately 3 acres and growing at a moderate rate. Earlier in the evening, one helicopter and one attack handcrew from the U.S. Forest Service were working the fire with an additional crew on the way.

Terrain is steep, which has hampered ground access. No structures were threatened and there was no estimate of containment. A helicopter will be on the scene again Saturday along with ground units.

- Fire crews have contained a 40-acre fire on Peavine Mountain north of Verdi, which is off Interstate 80 west of Reno.

The Boomtown fire, burning in grass and brush, was contained about 9 p.m. Friday.

Crews from the Nevada Division of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service and Reno Fire departments battled the fire with six engines, two air tankers and one handcrew.

No structures were threatened.