More than 24,500 acres have burned in the lightning-caused Shoshone Fire in the Clan Alpine Mountains northeast of Fallon, where firefighters have made significant progress containing the blaze despite steep terrain and hot, dry conditions.
As of Thursday, Aug. 20, the Shoshone Fire had burned 15,008 acres and was 32% contained. The fire is about 58 miles northeast of Fallon. On Monday, Aug. 24, the National Interagency Fire Center reported that it had burned 24,513 acres and was 92% contained.
The fire was reported Saturday, Aug. 15, and was determined to have been caused by lightning. The Bureau of Land Management reported Wednesday, Aug. 19, 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, and their proximity to the current fire perimeter is unclear.
Firefighters made progress Wednesday, Aug. 19, 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 that operational period, although a slopover occurred on the northwest portion of the fire, forcing crews to adjust their strategy. 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 instead incorporated the area into a larger indirect containment area.
Crews were expected Thursday, Aug. 20, to finish preparing containment lines along the west and northwest portions of the fire. Fire managers established trigger points to determine whether planned burning operations would be necessary. On the east side, firefighters continued securing containment lines and mopping up, with dozers assisting where terrain allowed.
Hot, dry weather continued to challenge firefighters. Temperatures ranging from 92 to 95 degrees, relative humidity of 14% to 17%, and winds of 15 to 20 mph contributed to active fire conditions. BLM reported that poor overnight humidity recovery was also allowing portions of the fire to remain active longer.
Fire officials said critically dry live and dead vegetation was making the fire more difficult to control. Retardant lines helped slow its spread, although areas of heavy juniper can burn through retardant.
Other fires in the region have intermittently brought smoke into the Lahontan Valley, affecting air quality. The Hawk Fire northwest of Reno started Saturday, Aug. 22. By Tuesday, the fire was 27% contained and had burned 15,051 acres. The Bug Fire had burned 93,733 acres and was 97% contained, while the Stallion Fire had burned 40,691 acres and was 98% contained.
BLM predicted continued hot and dry conditions, with thunderstorms likely to bring gusty outflow winds and the potential for new lightning-caused fires.
Crews will continue working where they can do so safely.
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