Fire grows to 12,000 acres, 35 percent contained

The flames lapped to near Interstate 80, but 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 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 pushed the flames through grass and brush in several directions. 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.

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. No arrests were reported.

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. The cause was 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.

archive