Nev. Wildfire Shuts Highway to Lake Tahoe

June 17, 2003
A 300-acre wildfire closed the highway to Lake Tahoe on Tuesday before firefighters began bringing it under control, while a prescribed burn in Arizona escaped control lines and forced the evacuation of about 15 homes.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- A 300-acre wildfire closed the highway to Lake Tahoe on Tuesday before firefighters began bringing it under control, while a prescribed burn in Arizona escaped control lines and forced the evacuation of about 15 homes.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage in the fire near Carson City. The Nevada Division of Forestry reported Tuesday evening the fire was 85 percent contained and was expected to be fully contained by Wednesday morning.

``We throw the world at it. You can always turn them around,'' said division spokeswoman Kelli Baratti.

The fire in central Arizona was within a half-mile of homes in an area about three miles north of Cherry, officials said. The 4,500-acre fire escaped the northern perimeter on Tuesday.

In the eastern part of the state, a 10,618-acre fire about 15 miles from Alpine was brought under control on Tuesday.

In Alaska, a 10,000-acre fire burned through the Goodpaster Valley southeast of Fairbanks, threatening a handful of recreational cabins.

The fire began with a lightning strike Saturday. Firefighters returning by helicopter Sunday night said they could not contain the fire because there was no nearby water source.

The National Interagency Fire Center said the number and acreage of large wildfires nationally is running about 30 percent below average. However, the agency said much of the Interior West, Northwest and portions of California and the Northern Rockies still are expected to have an above-normal fire season.

Two large fires are burning within the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico. One, sparked by lightning April 17, has burned 51,000 acres, said Loretta Ray, a spokeswoman national forest. That fire is contained. Another, also sparked by lightning, has burned about 15,000 acres.

``They're low intensity fires. It's been a good opportunity to allow fire to resume its role in the ecosystem,'' Ray said. ``It's a real challenge for us to explain to people that it's not a real catastrophic fire danger.''

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!