The Carpenter 1 wildfire plaguing the communities around Kyle Canyon, Nev. continues to grow out of control, burning through over 5,000 more acres between Tuesday and Wednesday.
First reported on Monday, July 1, the Carpenter 1 fire has destroyed 25,523 acres of land as of Wednesday. Thousands of firefighters have been assigned to battle the blaze, but the fire remains at just 15 percent containment.
According to the most recent update from InciWeb, fire activity increased significantly on Tuesday, thanks to winds gusting at up to 30 mph. The fire pushed northeast through Harris Springs and Prospect Springs onto Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property. One commercial structure and five other structures were destroyed in the blaze. The fire burned north across Kyle Canyon Road at Mile Marker 6, east of Harris Spring Road. Fire personnel worked through the night to stymie fire growth at that location.
In a speech Wednesday, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid said that over the weekend "we thought things were going well with the fires in Nevada and there was progress being made, limited progress, but progress was being made. But since then the fires have gotten much worse," The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
As of Wednesday, 274 additional firefighters were dispatched to battle Carpenter 1 on what was expected to be another active fire day, similar to Tuesday. This brings the total number of fire personnel deployed to help fight this fire to 1,077. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries: one suffering a knee injury, and another suffered heat illness, according to U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Suzanne Shelp.
The resources being used to fight this fire include 12 hotshot crews, 44 fire engines, 11 helicopters, 10 water trucks, two dozers, four Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and one very Large Air Tanker (VLAT). The cost of battling Carpenter 1 has grown to approximately $6.2 million.
An air quality alert was issued on Wednesday and will remain in place through Thursday in the Las Vegas Valley, due to the smoke from the wildfire. ABC Action News 13 reports that this alert is the highest form of public warning.
Unhealthy levels of air pollution are imminent or occurring, and air quality officials will continue to monitor the situation and post updates on their official forecast page. They have advised that children, the elderly, and people suffering respiratory diseases remain indoors.
The communities of Kyle Canyon, Lee Canyon and Trout Canyon are still under mandatory evacuation. The U.S. Forest Service has also issued an area closure for the Spring Mountain Recreation Area on the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Public meetings on the fire are being held daily in the Centennial High School auditorium. A Joint Information Center is in operation and all calls regarding the fire should be directed to (702) 799-4610.