Wind-Fanned Nevada Wildfire Burns 1,800 Acres
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LAS VEGAS — Strong winds fanned a canyon wildfire 40 miles northeast of here that had scorched more than 1,800 acres by nightfall Monday.
About 660 firefighters from five states were battling the blaze, joined by nine tanker aircraft and six helicopters, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Betty Blodgett said. The firefighters had to cope with winds gusting to 20 mph Monday, and more of the same was forecast for Tuesday.
“We’re hopeful that if all goes well, we can control it by Thursday,” Blodgett said Monday afternoon.
Named the Buck Springs fire, the blaze was racing through heavy brush and pinion juniper along Wheeler Pass, between Las Vegas and Pahrump, Nev. The fire is on the northwest slope of Mount Charleston, an 11,918-foot peak that is part of the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area.
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