Crews put clamps on blaze

A fire that charred nearly 400 acres near Bonnie Springs in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is expected to be fully contained by 6 p.m. today, Bureau of Land Management officials said Tuesday.

The human-caused fire, which began Monday night, prompted authorities to close Route 159, the canyon's 13-mile scenic loop and the Red Rock visitors center.

Route 159 in the canyon was reopened at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire was 40 percent contained at 3 p.m. Tuesday after 100 firefighters, five engines, a helicopter, a single-engine air tanker and an attack plane responded.

No structures were threatened, and no injuries were reported.

Officials were uncertain exactly how the fire began.

Also, a two-acre fire started Monday night at a picnic area at Lake Mead, damaging some picnic tables, said Roxanne Dey, spokeswoman for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

The fire started about 7 p.m., and authorities think it was started by someone igniting fireworks illegally, she said.

A vehicle was reported to have sped away from the fire, but authorities had not arrested anyone, she said.

About 15 firefighters responded to the fire, between Overton Beach and Echo Bay off North Shore Road.

Fireworks are illegal on all federal grounds.

Because of smoke from local wildfires and fireworks tonight, Clark County air quality officials issued an advisory stating that children, the elderly and people with cardiac and respiratory diseases should stay inside if unhealthful air pollution levels occur.

Particulate matter from smoke can aggravate cardiac problems, bronchitis and asthma, the advisory said Tuesday.

"At this time, unhealthy levels of air pollution are not occurring. Air quality officials will continue to monitor the situation and will post an alert ... if unhealthy levels of air pollution should occur," the advisory said.

Review-Journal writer David Kihara contributed to this report.