Northern Nevada fire burns 500 acres; Burning Man festivalgoers told to expect heavy traffic

A 500-acre fire was burning about 20 miles northwest of Gerlach in Northern Nevada, officials said, prompting a warning to attendees of the nearby Burning Man festival and the general public to be prepared for “substantial traffic congestion.”

The blaze, named the R-14 Buffalo Fire, has triggered an active wildland fire emergency response in the Poodle Mountains Wilderness Study Area by the Bureau of Land Management Northern California District, according to a BLM press release.

Private property, agricultural infrastructure, wildlife habitat areas and other land were being threatened by the fire, according to the press release.

Heavy traffic should be anticipated in the area as emergency response units will be utilizing the same roads as Burning Man attendees leaving the area, the BLM said.

The Burning Man festival, which annually draws tens of thousands of people, is taking place in the nearby Black Rock Desert through Sept. 1.

“This emergency response traffic will coincide with the departure of Burning Man festival participants utilizing the same primary transportation corridors,” the BLM press release said. “All members of the public are strongly urged to exercise extreme caution and maintain vigilance for firefighting equipment and emergency vehicles on roadways.”

In addition to firefighting crews on the ground, aircraft was also being used in the effort to contain the fire, officials said.

“Federal aviation resources are conducting sustained aerial operations, deploying fire retardant chemicals and water suppression systems to establish protective barriers designed to contain fire advancement,” the news release said.

Contact Arlette Yousif at ayousif@reviewjournal.com and follow her on Instagram at @arletteyousif.