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Fire near Lake Mead 78 percent contained, BLM says

Firefighters expect to fully contain the 4,465-acre fire near Lake Mead National Recreation Area by Monday evening, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Efforts to control the Bonelli Peak Fire on Sunday brought the total containment to about 78 percent, with completed efforts to stop its spread anticipated by about 6 p.m. Monday, bureau spokeswoman Kirsten Cannon said in a release. Crews rode utility vehicles to access the area’s rugged terrain and to check for hot spots.

Officials blamed lightning for the fire, first spotted on Wednesday in a remote area about 15 miles southeast of Echo Bay.

It had spread from 3,640 acres to 4,465 acres by Friday, and it remained about that size by Sunday, a bureau release said.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.

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