More than 15,000 acres have burned in the lightning-caused Shoshone Fire in the Clan Alpine Mountains northeast of Fallon, where firefighters continue working through steep terrain and hot, dry conditions to contain the blaze.
As of Thursday, Aug. 20, the Shoshone Fire had burned 15,008 acres and was 32% contained. The fire is burning approximately 58 miles northeast of Fallon in Churchill County and remains under a full suppression strategy.
The fire was reported Saturday, Aug. 15, and was determined to have been caused by lightning. The Bureau of Land Management reported Wednesday that 217 personnel were assigned to the incident.
The fire is burning in the Clan Alpine Mountains, a remote range that is also home to ranching operations, including the Alpine and Clan Alpine ranches, as well as livestock, wild horses, and other wildlife. Portions of the mountain range also border lands associated with the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC). Officials have not reported that the ranches, livestock, or FRTC lands are threatened. Pictured right: Morning briefing Aug. 20.
Firefighters made progress Wednesday securing portions of the fire's edge where terrain and fire behavior allowed crews to work directly. An anchor point was established at the heel of the fire, with crews working south and east to strengthen containment lines. Firefighters also used a process known as cold trailing, checking the fire's edge by hand for remaining heat and extinguishing hot spots.
Fire activity was moderate during the most recent operational period, although a slopover - occurred on the northwest portion of the fire, forcing crews to adjust their strategy. Slopover is when a wildfire crosses an established or intended containment line but remains relatively small and manageable. Type 1 crews evaluated whether they could attack that portion of the fire directly, but steep terrain and fire behavior made a direct attack impractical. Firefighters are instead incorporating the area into a larger indirect containment area.
Crews were expected Thursday to finish preparing containment lines along the west and northwest portions of the fire. Fire managers have established trigger points to determine whether planned burning operations will be necessary. On the east side, firefighters will continue securing containment lines and mopping up, with dozers assisting where terrain allows.
Hot, dry weather continues to challenge firefighters. Temperatures between 92 and 95 degrees, relative humidity of 14% to 17%, and winds of 15 to 20 mph have contributed to active fire conditions. Poor overnight humidity recovery is also allowing portions of the fire to remain active longer.
Fire officials said critically dry live and dead vegetation is making the fire more difficult to control. Retardant lines have helped slow the spread, although areas of heavy juniper can burn through retardant.
Continued fire movement is possible to the west and south through rugged and inaccessible terrain, while existing containment lines are expected to limit movement to the north and east.
Crews will continue working the fire where they can do so safely and have a high probability of successfully holding the line.
Updates will be published as information becomes available.
Pictured above, fired update Aug. 18, below, update Aug. 19. All photos by US Wildland Fire Service, courtesy of BLM.
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