Cottonwood Peak Fire in Northern Nevada balloons to over 100,000 acres
The Cottonwood Peak Fire in Northern Nevada nearly doubled in size from Tuesday to Thursday, according to a news release from the Bureau of Land Management.
The fire — which was measured at about 64,000 acres Tuesday evening — had grown to cover nearly 111,000 acres as of Thursday morning.
Firefighters, the release said, have been working “around the clock” to battle the blaze, which is about 3 miles north of Tuscarora in Elko County. The fire was reported on Friday.
As of Thursday morning, the fire was about 4 percent contained. Close to 900 people were assisting in the battle against the fire as of Thursday, according to the BLM.
“Hot, dry weather continued Wednesday, though lighter afternoon winds and some smoke shading on the northeast flank created slightly better conditions for firefighting,” the BLM said in the news release. “Additional helicopters, air tankers, heavy equipment, and hand crews are arriving daily, strengthening aggressive suppression efforts.”
Officials reported Thursday morning that seven helicopters and six air tanker airplanes have been assigned to fight the fire, along with over 40 fire engines and 16 bulldozers.
The BLM has temporarily closed Wilson Reservoir Campground. The Wild Horse Crossing and Jack Creek campgrounds at the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest have also been closed.
A temporary flight restriction — which includes drones — over the area remained in effect as of late Thursday, the BLM said.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.