A fire that has charred more than 93 square miles in the Virginia Mountains near Pyramid Lake was about 68 percent contained.
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“They have determined the place of origin and the cause and they are still trying to find who and why”, she said.
Soberanes Fire spokesman Erik Scott says they’ve required so many personnel to provide structure protection to all the communities, but also as the fire moves into the forest it’s been harder and harder to access due to steep rugged terrain.
Members of the CAL Fire Vina Helitack crew battle a spot fire as the fast-moving wildfire called “Sand Fire” burns near Plymouth, California July 26, 2014.
Since erupting on July 22, the fire has blackened almost 46,000 acres (18,600 hectares), destroyed at least 57 homes and claimed the life of a bulldozer operator who died when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the blaze.
The Yakima-Herald reported (http://goo.gl/yxcqaB ) the fire that has scorched about 273 square miles was up to 20 percent contained, from 10 percent Tuesday morning.
Farther north, a quickly-spreading grass fire near Lake Berryessa prompted the evacuation of an RV and tent camping site off of Highway 128 in Yolo County.
“As the fire is coming, the adrenaline kicks in and you just dig deep and do the job you got to do”, firefighter Luke Michaelis said.
The fire area was reported Tuesday at 75 square miles.
Pyramid Lake, about 40 miles north of Reno, remained closed so aircraft can use it to scoop water to fight the fires, said Scott Carey, business manager for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
In eastern Nevada, officials are reporting 80 percent containment of a 1.3-square-mile wildfire on public rangeland about 95 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Five structures, including three homes, have been destroyed, fire officials said. Residents of the rural area surrounded by rolling hills told reporters they scrambled to evacuate with their animals as the wind-driven blaze swept through dry slopes.
Evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes northwest of Dubois as progress was made against a wildfire.
The fire started Sunday and has burned 5.7 square miles in Bitterroot National Forest.
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Another 300 firefighters are battling a 5,120-acre wildfire in the scenic Poodle Mountain Wilderness Study Area, about 50 miles farther north.
