Ten large fires burning in Nevada

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2000 | 9:29 a.m.

It was first thought the 250-acre Right Hand fire in Palomino Valley between Sparks and Pyramid Lake was ignited by a spark left from last week's thunderstorms, but tire tracks found at the scene point to people. The blaze is 30 percent contained.

In southern Nevada, firefighters were corralling the 878-acre Trout fire that was sparked by lightning on Friday.

Some 250 firefighters include a hotshot crew from Alaska. Four air tankers and three helicopters provided an aerial assault, dropping water and fire retardant on the blaze, which was 75 percent contained.

Fire spokeswoman Paula Cote said firefighters hoped to have the fire surrounded by the weekend, provided the weather cooperates.

Lightning is the suspected cause of three new wildland fires that broke out late Monday around the state.

Those fires, burning near Winnemucca and Caliente, have burned about 4,500 acres combined.

The National Weather Service predicts the northern regions of the state could see a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms on Wednesday. Such storms often produce more lightning than rain and can easily ignite tinder-dry grass and brush.

Elsewhere in Nevada, a complex of six fires burning in O'Neil Basin southwest of Jarbidge has burned 37,485 acres, some in the Jarbidge Wilderness area.

Incident Commander Pat Murphy says additional resources are starting to arrive and firefighters are finally making some headway. That fire was 55 percent contained on Wednesday.

Firefighters neared victory on the 7,000-acre Fireball fire northeast of Fernley while east of Fallon, the Twin Peak fire was only 30 percent contained and had grown to 9,000 acres.

Near Ely, the Cherry fire was 75 percent contained at 7,500 acres. The Phillips Ranch fire, at 1,300 acres, was 25 percent contained.

This year's fire season is being called the worst in the West in 50 years. So far in Nevada, 817 fires have burned 464,000 acres.