High winds spread Nevada wildfires

Martin Griffith

Saturday, July 1, 2000 | 5:38 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - High winds hampered firefighters Saturday in their battle against the latest in a series of lightning-caused wildfires that have blackened more than 25,000 acres across northern Nevada over the last week.

Firefighters' top priorities were the 5,700-acre Ramsey fire about 35 miles east of Reno in Lyon County and the 7,000-acre Kelly Creek blaze about 40 miles northeast of Winnemucca in Humboldt County.

No homes were damaged or threatened. A firefighter suffered a broken arm in the Lyon County blaze.

"Cooler temperatures and no lightning are helping us today. High winds are not helping," said fire information officer Nick Zufelt.

Firefighters also were hampered by steep terrain in the Ramsey blaze, which is centered in the Virginia Range about four miles northwest of Silver Springs.

Firefighters don't expect to have the fire contained until Monday.

Fire officer Terry Reed said lightning touched off at least five wildfires Friday in the Winnemucca area.

The largest was the 7,000-acre Kelly Creek fire near Midas, which was threatening Lahontan cutthroat trout habitat and a federal wilderness study area.

Firefighters were unsure when they would be able to contain the blaze.

Elsewhere, a 2,870-acre fire near Nixon northeast of Reno and a 1,076-acre fire near Doyle, Calif., north of Reno were both 95 percent contained.

The largest wildfire of the week - the 7,690-acre Antelope Valley fire north of Reno - was 85 percent contained.

The blaze burned within 200 feet of homes Wednesday night and prompted a voluntary evacuation of residents.