Four fires remain after lightning ignites wildfires

Noelle McMahon / Special to the Sun

A wildfire burned the weekend of July 18-19, 2009, near Mount Charleston after several lightning strikes started fires just outside the Las Vegas Valley.

By Mary Manning (contact)

Published Sunday, July 19, 2009 | 5:30 p.m.

Updated Monday, July 20, 2009 | 5:15 p.m.

Firefighters are battling a small wildfire in a remote area of the Spring Mountains after lightning struck a tree during thunderstorms this afternoon.

A tree caught fire near the South Loop Trail between Griffith Peak and Charleston Peak, said Judy Suing, spokeswoman for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.

A helicopter dropped off two firefighters at the scene of the fire, Suing said. They will work through the evening and hike out Tuesday morning, she said.

The fire is confined to one-tenth of an acre so far and no structures are threatened, Suing said.

Firefighters are still battling four out of 30 wildfires large and small sparked by lightning strikes in the Spring Mountains west of the Las Vegas Valley over the weekend.

The largest fire, the 40-acre Dry Basin blaze located between Trout and Lovell Canyones near the La Madre Mountain Wilderness near the southwest end of the Spring Mountains is expected to be contained tonight, Suing said.

About 100 firefighters arrived in the Spring Mountains, west of Las Vegas, as the threat of thunderstorms lingers for the higher terrain, a fire official said today.

Thunderstorms that rolled through the Las Vegas Valley Saturday night and Sunday afternoon ignited about 30 wildfires in the Spring Mountains stretching along the western area of the valley.

Many of the fires had been quickly doused or managed with several federal, state and local agencies responding to the flames, Suing said.

Firefighting efforts stretched from Trout Canyon, 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas, to Mount Potosi, 30 miles southwest of the city.

The smoke from the mountain wildfires spread across the Las Vegas Valley Sunday into Monday as thunderheads collapsed Sunday night. The National Weather Service said soot particles were suspended in air 4,000 to 7,000 feet above the valley's surface.

The Clark County Air Quality and Environmental Management Division was monitoring the levels of particles and ozone in the air.

Other wildfires could be contained in a day or two, depending on the weather.

The Williams fire, burning one acre in Trout Canyon, is within 1.5 miles of the community of Trout, Suing said. There is one helicopter, a single-engine air tanker and three engines battling that blaze because it is so close to structures, she said.

Other wildfires could be contained in a day or two, depending on the weather.

So far 12 engines, four from outside Southern Nevada, two helicopters and another from outside the area, 16 smoke jumpers, a single-engine air tanker, one air attack unit and two 20-person hand crews, one from outside the area, and three prevention patrols are in the Spring Mountains fighting the flames, Suing said. Firefighters have arrived in Southern Nevada from Colorado and Wyoming, she said.

Suing said that although lightning started the current fires, anyone headed to any public lands should leave fireworks, even the safe and sane kind, at home. Violations can result in a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in jail as well as costs associated with any damages to forests or public lands, suppressing any fires and injuries, if a person is found guilty.