Crews gaining control of fires

Eric Leake

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 | 11:22 a.m.

138,018 acres 42 miles northwest of Mesquite and 30 miles south of Caliente.

277 acres 30 miles northwest of Mesquite.

7,861 acres 20 miles northwest of Mesquite.

131,879 acres 25 miles southeast of Caliente.

4,152 acres 50 miles southwest of Mesquite.

Approximately 4,800 acres in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge west of Highway 93

25,786 acres.

33,569 acres originating north of Goodsprings and reaching Red Rock Canyon and' the Spring Mountains, 80 percent contained.

Contained fires

2,815 acres on BLM land eight miles east of Bunkerville.

567 acres on BLM land near Sandy Valley.

146 acres in Red Rock Canyon.

100 acres in northwest of Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.

35 acres in Lake Mead National Recreation Area by Davis Dam.

Two acres in Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge south of Alamo.

One acre near Lake Mead by Willow Beach.

Fire crews engaged in a more pedestrian effort Monday as they extinguished hot spots in the all-but-finished Goodsprings Fire.

The fire has consumed 33,569 acres since it was ignited by lightning Wednesday. It is expected to be fully contained tonight.

"The whole thing is pretty wimpy right now," Fire Information Officer Joe Colwell said of the fire. "Within another day or two we're going to be pretty wrapped up here."

Meanwhile, north of Las Vegas, a series of fires called the Southern Nevada Complex spread across a combined 315,588 acres but without threatening any communities.

Crews snuffing the Goodsprings Fire walked the scorched desert, hacking up the roots of warm Joshua trees or yuccas where fire could continue to smolder.

"They're having, as part of their mop up, to physically touch these Joshua trees and yuccas because they burn from the inside," Colwell said. "It could burn for a couple days then come above ground and suddenly you have sparks floating around."

To assist crews, a helicopter patrolled the fire line with a radiometric imaging device that is better than even infrared cameras at sensing heat, Colwell said.

But, he said, certainty comes from people walking the ground. Crews inspected a line 300 feet wide in the higher elevation forests and 30 feet wide nearer the desert floor.

More than 500 firefighters had worked the Goodsprings Fire during the weekend. The fire forced the evacuation of camps near Mount Potosi, the near evacuation of the Mountain Springs community, and temporarily closed State Route 160.

"For a day or two there were some nervous people around here," Colwell said. "But it came together pretty good."

The Boy Scout and United Methodist Church camps were allowed to reopen Monday. Neither camp was reported damaged, and 150 Boy Scouts were expected to arrive at camp today.

Colwell credited diligent fire crews, effective controlled burning, and a lucky turn of the weather in controlling the fire.

Of the more than 500 firefighters who worked the Goodsprings Fire, 485 remained Monday night. Many were preparing to leave.

Colwell said some crews may go home and some may go to nearby fires in Utah and Arizona.

"It would be convenient because they're here, they're ready, and they're going," he said. "They get pumped up and they're going."

Some of those crews could be reassigned to the Southern Nevada Complex fires, a conglomeration of 11 fires. The fires, which are southwest and north of Mesquite, grew from approximately 220,000 acres Sunday morning to more than 315,000 Monday evening.

The largest parts of the fire are between Mesquite and Caliente.

Fire Information Officer Kathy Jo Pollock said the fires are carried by wind across dry grass and move quickly, so quickly that they do not burn everything.

"When we say burned, it's not necessarily that the whole area's black," she said.

Such was the case when the largest of the complex fires, the Meadow Valley Fire, approached the historic town site of Elgin, south of Caliente.

"It kind of went around it, through it, but did not do any damage," Pollock said.

Approximately 850 people, six helicopters, and three airplanes battled the Southern Nevada Complex fires. A command center was set up at an elementary school in Bunkerville.

Pollock said no firefighters have been injured though a few suffered from dehydration. She said some railroad routes and power lines were potentially threatened, but no structures.

Protecting endangered Desert Tortoise habitat was also a priority.

The fires were 6 percent contained Tuesday morning.

"I think the weather's the biggest challenge -- the high temperature and the wind," Pollock said.

The National Weather Service predicted little wind today and relatively moderate temperatures with highs around 100 degrees. There is a chance of dry thunderstorms and lightning.

"It won't be widespread, but you don't need much to trigger something," meteorologist Charlie Schlott said. He said the weather should be more cooperative the rest of the week.

For many firefighters, the bigger threat is the approaching Fourth of July weekend. "Safe-N-Sane" fireworks go on sale today.

"We want people to be careful and to not let down their guard," Colwell said. "It's still a dangerous time of year."