Clark County Fire Department
Smoke is seen from a fire at Mount Potosi, Thursday, July 6, 2017.
Published Friday, July 7, 2017 | 11:44 a.m.
Updated Saturday, July 8, 2017 | 6:58 p.m.
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A wildfire in the Spring Mountains southwest of Las Vegas has grown to some 350 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Eight smokejumpers, an engine, helicopter and four air tankers were fighting the fire, with additional resources ordered, officials said. No evacuation orders were in effect, but a nearby Boy Scouts reservation was voluntarily evacuated, officials said.
U.S. Forest Service officials were asking the public not to drive on any Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management roads south of Nevada State Highway 160.
The fire started Thursday as two smaller fires on the Pahrump side of Mount Potosi, about 30 miles from Las Vegas, according to the Clark County Fire Department and Metro Police.
One of the blazes was no more than 3 acres, with a smaller fire above the Boy Scouts camp, Metro Lt. Peter Kisfalvi said Thursday night. But by this morning, the fire had spread.
The fire might have been sparked by lightning detected in the area about 5:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
In Northern Nevada, meanwhile, evacuation orders have been lifted for hundreds of people living near one of multiple wildfires.
Officials said today that the fire didn't grow beyond the nearly 5 square miles (12 square kilometers) it has already burned near the Palomino Valley.
Firefighters made significant progress on it and it is now 55 percent contained.
Previously, about 500 people across 200 homes and horse ranches were asked to voluntarily evacuate the rural community area after one sprawling property was charred.
Officials said hot and dry conditions continue to affect the fire but that no thunderstorms are in the forecast.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
