Brad Horn/Nevada AppealA Nevada Highway Patrol trooper watches the Spooner fire burn in South Carson City late this afternoon. The fire burned five acres of cheatgrass and sagebrush. Highway 50 was closed for about an hour.
Two air tankers and a helicopter successfully snuffed a five-acre fire late this afternoon at the base of Spooner Summit in South Carson City.
A quick response by aircraft and crews kept the fire from nearby homes.
Highway 50 between Carson City and Spooner Summit was closed for about an hour. It is open now with controls. Crews from Carson City, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, East Fork Fire District, Tahoe Douglas Fire District and the Nevada Division of Forestry battled the blaze.
The fire appears to have started in Toiyabe National Forest land along the roadside near the Nevada Department of Transportation's gravel pit and the Park and Ride lot. The cause is unknown, but Carson City Fire Chief Stacey Giomi said he suspects the fire to be human caused.