Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Unclear what caused fire at county Wetlands Park

Fire at Clark County Wetlands Park

L.E. Baskow

The Clark County Fire Department soaks the land about the Clark County Wetlands Park while battling a four-acre fire north of Sam Boyd Stadium on Monday, March 24, 2014.

Updated Monday, March 24, 2014 | 7:55 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

A firefighter with the Clark County Fire Department soaks the land about the Clark County Wetlands Park while battling a four-acre fire north of Sam Boyd Stadium on Monday, March 24, 2014.

A fire within the Clark County Wetlands Park this afternoon burned about two acres of brush, trees and vegetation, according to fire officials.

The Clark County Fire Department received multiple calls about the fire starting about 2:40 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a blaze in the nature preserve area of the 2,900-acre park, Battalion Chief Leo Durkin said.

The brush fire produced a large column of smoke visible across the Las Vegas Valley, but no structures — including the nearby Nature Center — were damaged, Durkin said. It’s unclear what caused the fire.

Sixteen Clark County firefighters battled the blaze, with assistance from the Bureau of Land Management and Henderson fire personnel, he said.

BLM firefighters are “mopping up” the fire remnants, which includes digging up smoldering roots to ensure the fire is completely out, Durkin said.

The Nature Center and preserve area will remain closed Tuesday because of expected high winds, which could cause fire flare-ups, officials said. All other trailheads in the park will be open, though.

The park was evacuated and is closed to the public for the rest of today. The Nature Center will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday, but some trails in the preserve will remain closed, officials said.

The nature preserve covers 210 acres of the park, which is considered one of the largest urban wetlands in the southwest. The park, located near Boulder Highway and Tropicana Avenue, is home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, lizards, beavers, coyotes, bobcats and snakes.

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