Critical fire weather forecast for Sunday

The first red flag warning for critical fire danger of 2022 has been issued for Western Nevada effective noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Forecasters predict southwest winds of 15-25 mph, gusting to 30-40 mph along the Sierra Front from Douglas north to the Nevada-Oregon state line.

Coupled with 10-15 percent humidity during the afternoon, fires will be able to grow rapidly in size and intensity before they can be contained, forecasters said.

“Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting or campfires,” officials warned.

Increased fire danger could prompt NV Energy to implement a public safety outage in regions in and immediately adjacent to Lake Tahoe, including the area from Genoa north.

A new wildfire that exploded in northeastern Nevada may be indicative of the rest of this year’s fire season.

The Wildcat fire burning in grass and brush 42 miles north of Wells grew nearly 18,000 acres to 21,423 acres in 24 hours, according to Saturday’s incident management report. It was first reported 6 p.m. Wednesday, likely started in the lightning storm that struck that night.

Unlike the fire burning in Yosemite that has been sending smoke due north into Carson Valley for more than a week, the Wildcat fire is already burning through most of its fuel and is expected to be out by July 24.

Fire officials report they have a line around a tenth of it and hope to have it contained by July 24.

Meanwhile, the Washburn Fire is burning dead and fallen trees, including those blown down by the Mono wind event in January 2021. The same event knocked down trees across the western slope, providing the large trees that kept the Caldor Fire climbing toward Lake Tahoe.

The Washburn Fire is officially 4,822 acres and firefighters report a line around 37 percent. Full containment is anticipated at the end of the month. Smoke from the fire was down significantly on Saturday afternoon under still conditions.