Fire burning northeast of Pahrump now more than 230 acres, Forest Service says
A lightning-ignited fire northeast of Pahrump had grown to more than 230 acres on Sunday evening, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
On Sunday around noon, the agency said in a tweet about three lightning-ignited fires around Mount Charleston that the Trough Springs fire was estimated to be about 100 acres.
The Trough Springs fire, which was first reported around 1 p.m. Saturday, is located in the Wheeler Pass area near Pahrump.
“Initially, aviation resources dropped fire retardant aiming to slow the fire’s progress and lessen the intense heat so that ground crew could approach,” the U.S. Forest Service said around noon on X. “Overnight the fire burned within the controlled area created by the retardant.”
Aerial flight mapping the #TroughSpringsFire, which is actually 236 acres, but still remains within the controlled area created by the initial retardant lines. The fire is located in the Wheeler Pass area northeast of #Pahrump, #Nevada. @GoMtCharleston pic.twitter.com/ZXWTItIH9U
— Humboldt Toiyabe NF (@HumboldtToiyabe) August 12, 2024
Fire crews built and fortified “control lines” around the Trough Springs fire during the day on Sunday, and aviation resources kept being used.
The U.S. Forest Service announced around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday that an emergency area closure had been implemented to safeguard the public and those fighting the fire.
In its Sunday evening update on X, the agency said the Trough Springs fire remained “within the controlled area created by the initial retardant lines.” The acreage increase — 100 to 236 —happened because of better mapping, according to the tweet.
The other two fires discussed in the U.S. Forest Service’s original tweet, the Jaybird and Wilson 1 fires, were “contained and controlled” as of Sunday around noon.
Clark County Fire Department has also deployed water tankers around the Las Vegas Valley to help support firefighting efforts in the Spring Mountains, the county said Monday morning. CCFD helicopers are also using Heliwells to fill baskets to release over the fire.
The Jaybird fire, which was first reported around 3 p.m. Saturday northwest of Cold Creek, was gauged to be 32 acres in size. The Wilson 1 fire was estimated to be less than an acre large. It was spotted around 7 p.m. on Friday in the upper part of Lovell Canyon.
Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com. Contact Peter Breen at pbreen@reviewjournal.com.
