Focus of fires moves eastward

Thousands of firefighters claimed victory today over the largest wildland blaze in Nevada while to the east, the second largest neared containment following an overnight drenching.

The Sadler complex 45 miles south of Elko had burned 209,500 acres of grass, sagebrush and pines but remained fairly stable on Tuesday despite strong winds that damaged the base camp. Heavy rain and hail followed.

"We're more optimistic than we were. After five days, finally," Elko Interagency Fire dispatch center spokesman Mike Cassidy said.

The huge blaze is 70 percent contained and crews hope to have it completely surrounded by Thursday. Its size was downgraded overnight from an earlier estimate of 297,000 acres.

The biggest of the fires sparked by last week's dry lighting, the 20-blaze Dun Glenn Complex between Winnemucca and Lovelock, was contained late Tuesday at 361,656 acres.

So far this year, fires have blackened 1.32 million acres in Nevada, or just over 2,000 square miles.

There currently are 4,100 firefighters in Nevada - 900 of them on the Sadler fires alone - and 212 engines assisted by 60 air tankers, helicopters and light aircraft.

Some of the crews that have been released from the fire lines are catching a few hours' rest at staging areas in Winnemucca and Elko while they wait to see what the thunderstorms do, Cassidy said.

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