VIDEO/PHOTOS: Fire season is in full swing in Southern Nevada, with thick smoke visible above Sam Boyd Stadium last week from the Wiesner Fire at Wetlands Park. The region is not alone in battling blazes; Douglas County, near Carson City, is contending with the Conner Fire, which has scorched over 17,000 acres and is now 96% contained. Deputy Chief Brian O’Neal of the Clark County Fire Department said, “So this is peak fire season in Southern Nevada. It typically is a season that runs from May to October.” As the third month of fire season approaches, O’Neal warned that small brush fires can quickly escalate due to dry conditions. “We can expect small fires getting big fast because the fuel is so dry this time of year,” he said.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, 10 wildland fires are currently burning across Nevada, with the Conner Fire being the largest. Randy Dorn, president of the Las Vegas Radio Control Flyers, was among the first to witness the 110-acre Wiesner Fire at Wetlands Park Nature Preserve. Dorn expressed concern about future fires, saying, “Yes. I think everybody is. So we have had what? 3 or 4 just within the last few months. The fire department is very concerned about it. Clark County also operates the wetlands area so they are very concerned.” O’Neal noted that the Wiesner Fire and other recent blazes have burned over 100 acres due to excessive growth from past storms. “It is an area that has not burned much in the previous years and so that may have contributed to the size of just more fuel that was available,” he said.
