Residents allowed back into Pine Nut fire area

Fire crews were mopping up a wildfire that briefly threatened homes in the Pine Nuts, officials said Wednesday night.

East Fork firefighters had the fire mostly contained by 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after working for more than eight hours on the blaze.

They were able to keep the Ruby fire, which was first reported around noon, under 10 acres, according to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch.

Light winds and a location in a former burn area kept the fire from spreading more quickly, and aided firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but appears to be accidental.

The fire was a slow-growth fire that appeared to mostly be on private property, said Sheriff’s Spokeswoman Sgt. Bernadette Smith.

Units from the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service and Nevada Department of Forestry assisted with suppression efforts.

Crews will continue to reinforce the line around the fire throughout the evening, and the incident will be re-evaluated on Thursday, Smith said.

Voluntary evacuations were imposed shortly after the fire was reported. Douglas County deputies went door-to-door to the handful of homes in the area to advise residents of the danger. Residents were allowed to return to their homes located near Ruby Mine Road by 4 p.m.

When first reported, a resident said flames were visible approaching the house.

Three hand crews, eight engines, four water tenders, two helicopters and two single-engine air tankers helped battle the blaze.

By 4 p.m., smoke was no longer visible from the fire on video cameras operated by the University of Nevada Seismological Laboratory.