Aircraft assisting in fighting fire near Cold Springs
By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press
RENO, Nev. (AP) — An evacuation order remained in place but fire officials said they were making progress Monday against a wildfire north of Reno and the most immediate threat to homes had passed.
No structures have been damaged and no injuries reported as a result of he brush fire near Cold Springs and the California-Nevada border. Five aircraft were assisting about 75 firefighters on the ground.
Authorities say the blaze has burned an estimated 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) since it broke out Sunday.
“Things are improving,” Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Chief Charles Moore said.
“We’re not out of the woods yet. We do have a large column of smoke,” he said. “All in all, things are looking good.”
Moore said the forecast called for lighter winds Monday in the range of 10-15 mph (16 to 24 kph), which should help crews continue to make progress. He had no immediate estimate on containment but said the fire could be under control as early as Monday evening.
He said a decision would be made later in the day about lifting evacuation orders.
“We do have some structures that are still threatened but I wouldn’t say the threat is significant at all. We do have engines all around the homes that we’re concerned about right now,” Moore said.
The fire broke out on U.S. Bureau of Land Management land and the cause was not known, Moore said.
About 75 residences were evacuated in areas along the Petersen mountain range between Columbia Hill and Chuckwagon roads, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.
An evacuation shelter has been established at the Washoe County Senior Services center north of downtown. An evacuation center for livestock and other large animals has opened nearby at the Livestock Events Center.
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