Northern Nevada fire at nearly 132K acres

Additional firefighting resources surged to the area near Tuscarora, NV as winds pushed the Cottonwood Peak Fire to the west Friday afternoon, according to a release from the Bureau of Land Management.

More resources were also sent Friday evening to help handle a new fire to the northeast along Nevada Highway 225

Bulldozers and helicopters were utilized to check the fire at the Owyhee River and the 726 Road.

The Cottonwood Peak Fire started August 15. The fire has grown to nearly 132,000 acres and is at 18% containment.

With calm winds expected early Saturday, the fire will initially be driven by heat remaining in timber stands and by normal winds.

That could change late Saturday when isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected over the Independence Mountains and in areas north and south of the fire. Gusty winds caused by the storms could bring a major uptick in fire behavior.

The BLM and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest have temporarily closed the Wilson Reservoir, Wild Horse Crossing and Jack Creek campgrounds. Nevada Highway 226 is only open to local traffic.