Growing Carpenter Canyon fire consumes 800 to 1,000 acres
Lightning sparked a wildfire Monday in Carpenter Canyon, and by Tuesday evening, the blaze covered approximately 1,000 acres.
The Bureau of Land Management has closed Trout Canyon Road, which accesses Carpenter Canyon.
Carpenter Canyon is on the west side of the Spring Mountains, just east of Pahrump.
Hillerie Patton of the Bureau of Land Management said that the fire was burning in the mountains and that Pahrump was not in any immediate danger.
Patton said one ground crew, four engines, a helicopter and a single-engine air tanker were battling the fire.
The helicopter was dropping water on the flames, and the tanker was dropping fire retardant.
More firefighting resources were on the way, Patton said.
The fire started Monday and grew slowly, but it took off about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
At 6 p.m. it was at 200 acres, and by 7:30 p.m., it involved at least 800 acres.
Patton said it was too soon to have containment estimates.
According to BLM officials, the U.S. Forest Service also is involved in fighting the Spring Mountains fire.
Two more fires continued on the inside edge of the La Madre Mountain Wilderness area, about 20 miles north of Las Vegas. Both were caused by lightning strikes on Saturday, a BLM spokeswoman said.
One fire was contained at 11.5 acres Monday, and the other was expected to be contained by Tuesday evening.
A fire north of Reno started Monday and was estimated at 5,400 acres in size. Rocky terrain and wind have made it difficult to contain. As of Tuesday, the fire was 35 percent contained by 300 personnel.
Elsewhere in the hot, dry West, firefighters in eastern Oregon battled three fires triggered by lightning.
Contact Annalise Porter at aporter@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.
