Residents evacuated after fire burns near Trout Canyon Road area east of Pahrump
A fire that broke out Sunday afternoon near Trout Canyon Road in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest caused the evacuation of some residents in a small community located 15-20 miles east of Pahrump.
As of about 8 p.m., Ray Johnson of the U.S. Forest Service, who was near the scene of the fire, said residents who live in the area of the blaze had been evacuated and were not allowed to return to their homes.
The size of the fire, located east of the 1300 block of Trout Canyon Road, was about 15 acres as of Sunday evening, according to Johnson and Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Brian O’Neal.
The small unincorporated community there is generally referred to as Trout Canyon or simply “Trout.”
As Johnson spoke to a Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter along Trout Canyon Road, planes could be seen dropping fire retardant materials from the sky.
“The fire was reported mid-afternoon just behind the community of Trout,” Johnson said. “It’s docile now, but still very active. We’ve had aircraft, air tankers as well as some helicopters, assisting and they’ve really done a great job.”
Johnson said there were no injuries and lost structures as of Sunday evening. Close to two-dozen homes are in the general area of the fire.
Vince Sauer and his wife, Toni Sauer, were among those who evacuated. Vince said he grabbed some framed photos, his stamp collection, some other family keepsakes, and some spare clothes before leaving.
“The firefighters are doing a good job,” Vince said. “They always do a good job. It seemed like they were making progress.”
The couple said they’ve lived in their home for nearly 30 years and that being evacuated is a rare occurrence.
The Sauers were hopeful to return to their home Sunday night, but they eventually decided to travel to Pahrump to spend the night there.
Along with Clark County Fire Department personnel and the Forest Service workers, Johnson said the Bureau of Land Management, the Nevada Division of Forestry, Pahrump Valley Fire & Rescue and the Metropolitan Police Department all responded to the fire.
Trout Canyon Road and Lovell Summit Road remained closed as of Sunday evening, O’Neal said.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. Contact Arlette Yousif at ayousif@reviewjournal.com and follow her on Instagram at @arletteyousif.
