Over the past seven days a wildfire located in Nevada, approximately one mile from Kyle Canyon and 22 miles from Las Vegas, has exploded to encompass thousands of acres of land, causing large-scale evacuations, disrupting flights in the area, and prompting the government to intercede, with feds offering FEMA grant money to offset the firefighting costs.
The Carpenter 1 fire was ignited midday on July 1 by a lightning strike. Drought conditions and massive heat waves in the area have fueled the blaze, which now covers 15,286 acres as of 12:30 p.m. EST on Monday, according to the most recent InciWeb update.
Approximately 753 fire personnel are battling the Carpenter 1 wildfire, using a number of resources. Among them: 10 hand crews, 8 hotshot crews, 7 helicopters, 4 heavy air tankers, 39 fire engines, 10 water tenders and a VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker), which can drop 11,700 gallons of fire retardant per load. Although the fire is burning in some rugged and inaccessible areas, giving engines and other vehicles limited access, crews have the fire at 15 percent containment as of Monday. The cost of fighting the fire so far is estimated at $2.4 million.
Also on Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the state of Nevada in combating the Carpenter 1 fire.
On July 5, the state of Nevada had submitted a request for fire management assistance in battling the blaze. FEMA's concurrent authorization makes available funding to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. Eligible costs covered by the grant can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.
Officials have announced that the fire is at high risk for potential growth. The projected movement for the blaze is north inth Kyle and Lee Canyons, southwest toward Trout Creek and east to Lovell Canyon and Harris Springs Canyon. During the next 24 hours, the fire may hook into the lower end of Kyle Canyon.
As of Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m., command of the fire was passed to Rich Harvey and his Type 1 Great Basin National Incident Management Team. The Harvey team, based in Las Vegas, will focus on fighting the fire on its northern flank. Based in Pahrump, a Type 2 Incident Management Team led by Marty Adell will focus its efforts on the southern flank, according to a news release. Crews will continue to provide structure protection and assess possible strategies for further containment of the fire.
"So far we have had no injuries and no structures have been lost," said Jay Nichols, information officer for the Spring Mountains Recreation Area. "About 400 residential structures are at risk...that means some of them are within a mile or so of the fire. There are about another 100 outbuildings such as animal sheds that are also at risk."
Mandatory evacuations are still in place for Trout Canyon, Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon, where there are currently over 500 displaced residents. The Red Cross has opened up shelters for the evacuees in two locations: Hafen Elementary School in Pahrump, and James Bilbray Elementary School in Las Vegas. These shelters are open 24/7 and will be available to residents until they can return to their homes.
Due to the size, intensity and growth potential of the fire, several restrictions are currently in place, and all flights are temporarily restricted over the fire area. Additionally, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place. Among these restrictions: open campfires, charcoal grills and stove fires are prohibited; smoking is restricted to enclosed buildings, within vehicles equipped with ashtrays or on paved or surfaced roads; and welding or operating any torch with an open flame is prohibited.
A public meeting is scheduled for tonight, Monday July 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the Centennial High School Auditorium. For information, call (702) 799-4610.
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