Wildfires char thousands of acres in Southern Nevada

Sandra Chereb

Monday, May 31, 1999 | 10:26 a.m.

Firefighters in southern Nevada were trying to contain a wildland blaze that has charred 10,000 acres and continued to burn out of control Monday night.

"We had some good aerial drops so we're feeling a bit encouraged," Curtis Tucker of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management said of the Blue Garden Fire burning in rugged terrain about 85 miles northeast of Las Vegas in remote Lincoln County.

But he said only 20 percent had been contained since it was sparked Friday by lightning and firefighters don't expect to contain all of it until Thursday at the earliest.

The fire spread quickly through vegetation already made brittle by lackluster winter moisture and rising temperatures.

Fire spokesman Bill Roach said the wildfire season in the region typically begins around July 4.

"We're running about a month early," he said when contacted on a cellular phone at the scene about 450 miles southeast of here.

"It's very dry and we've had high temperatures," said Heidi Netzler, another fire information officer.

The fire was burning in black brush and desert scrub along its southern border and threatened desert tortoise habitat.

Its northern flank, fueled by pinion and juniper, was threatening the Clover Mountain Wilderness Study area.

A helicopter helped to battle the blaze from the air and 17 hand crews were on the ground Monday night.

Temperatures on Monday again climbed into the 80s and firefighters braced for afternoon winds forecast up to 30 mph.

Netzler said no predictions have been made on when firefighters may be able to complete a fire break around the blaze, though she added it could take up to a week.

No serious injuries have been reported and no private property was threatened, officials said.

Meanwhile, firefighters made progress on a second fire in Lincoln County that was also touched off by lightning Friday.

The Rainbow Ranch fire flashed through about 1,900 acres of cheat grass and brush southwest of Elgin.

Five hand crews assisted by two helicopters and three pumper engines worked that blaze and Tucker said containment was near.