Fire crews near containment of 12,000-acre fire

Within hours after it broke out, the fire - fanned by brisk, erratic winds - exploded to more than 5,000 acres and continued to grow more slowly overnight.

It was 75 percent contained by midday Monday.

The fire, which broke into two fingers that raced through grass and brush, lapped almost to Interstate 80, but the highway remained open. Fire dispatcher Adrian Sullivan said no homes appeared to be threatened by the blaze.

The Pah Rah fire east of Sparks began about 4 p.m. Sunday, a few hours before crews claimed victory over a 2,300-acre wildland fire that erupted Friday in southeast Reno.

Wind gusts of up to 25 mph pushed the flames through grass and brush in several directions, frustrating some 350 firefighters trying to stay ahead of the blaze. They were aided by two helicopters, three air tankers and some 20 engines.

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. No arrests were reported.

The rash of fires started June 24 with a 5,600-acre blaze in the Lemmon Valley area north of Reno. A 70-acre blaze on Friday was caused by a man and two children playing with fireworks near the intersection of U.S. 395 and Geiger Grade south of Reno.

Most of the fires burned in remote areas, although the one extinguished on Sunday in the Mira Loma area south of Reno destroyed a mobile home and a garage.

Also on Sunday, the 4,640-acre Hunter fire just west of Elko was fully contained, 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 three miles west of Elko and remains under investigation.

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