10,000-acre wildfire burns out of control east of Sparks

SPARKS, Nev. - A 10,000-acre wildfire burned out of control Sunday night in the mountains above this city, lapping up to Interstate 80 but posing no threat to homes or other structures, fire officials said.

The Pah Rah fire just east of Sparks broke out about 4 p.m. Sunday, only a couple hours before a 2,300-acre wildland fire that erupted Friday in southeast Reno was extinguished.

"We're getting stretched a little thin but we were able to rest up a little between them," said Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District firefighter Jack Fleiner.

Wind gusts of up to 25 mph quickly pushed the fire through grass and brush in several directions, including to the south where I-80 stood in its path.

A fire dispatcher said the blaze burned along a stretch of the interstate 15 miles east of Sparks. Smoke caused zero visibility at one point and forced some motorists to turn around.

A Nevada Highway Patrol dispatcher said the interstate remained open but troopers were directing traffic through the area.

About six power poles along the interstate caught on fire but they were extinguished by Sierra Pacific Resources crews, utility spokesman Bob Sagan said.

More than 200 firefighters were battling the blaze. Three air tankers and two helicopters were assisting.

A witness told investigators he heard shots or firecrackers shortly before the fire broke out. He also said he saw a man drive away in a yellow truck.

Most of the affected land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The fire broke out after firefighters gained the upper hand on a string of other wildfires across northern Nevada.

In nearby southeast Reno, the 2,300-acre Mira Loma fire was extinguished Sunday evening after destroying a mobile home and severely damaging a house.

It was one of at least four wildfires that broke out Friday in the Reno area. Its cause remains under investigation.

To the east near Elko, the 4,640-acre Hunter fire was fully contained Sunday evening, said Bureau of Land Management spokesman Kurt Kleiner.

Air tankers were able to stop its spread well before it reached any homes and no damage to structures was reported.

The grass and brush fire began Saturday less than a mile from I-80 but was pushed away from the interstate by stiff winds. No traffic problems were reported.

The fire began in a dump 10 miles west of Elko and remains under investigation.

A smaller blaze, the 342-acre Washburn Creek fire six miles southwest of McDermitt near the Oregon border, was contained Saturday night.

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