Storms spark several blazes

Several lightning-ignited wildfires outside Las Vegas continued to grow late Wednesday, with one blaze torching 50 acres, officials said.

The fires, on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, brought to Southern Nevada the lightning-ignited wildfires that have been burning in at least seven Western states.

The storms that produced the lightning had moved over central Arizona by late Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said. Any remaining clouds were expected to be gone by midnight, meteorologist Andrew Gorelow said.

Aided by winds and dry weather, a small blaze on Mount Potosi in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area had blossomed to more than 50 acres.

The Potosi Fire was 15 percent to 20 percent contained by 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. Firefighters had used two engines, two hand crews, a helicopter and a heavy air tanker to battle the blaze, BLM spokeswoman Hillerie Patton said.

"Containment efforts are going well," Patton said.

The fire, on the south side of state Route 160, southwest of Las Vegas, was about two miles from the Boy Scout camp at Kimball Scout Reservation on Mount Potosi.

The Forest Service was battling two smaller blazes, the Trout Fire on the west side of the Spring Mountains and the Harris Springs Fire near Mount Charleston, each about five acres. Forest Service crews used one engine and eight smoke jumpers, firefighters who sometimes parachute in to battle blazes.

Small fires were reported in Wallace Canyon, Indian Springs, Wheeler Pass and Lucky Strike Canyon. They were put out, Patton said.