PHOTOS: Two large fires in Northern Nevada have merged to create the largest wildfire in the state so far this year. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday morning that the Jakes Fire in eastern Elko County is now at about 55,000 acres. Officials have combined it with the Snowstorm Fire to fight it as a single blaze. More than 550 firefighting personnel are assigned to the wildfire, which started on Friday, Aug. 1, about 500 miles north of Las Vegas. The fire is 15% contained, but it continues to show โextreme fire behavior,โ especially on its southeast corner.
Winds shifted and the fire is moving back over territory where firefighters previously worked against it. Officials said previous work and a past burn scar have helped to slow the fireโs spread. Firefighters are working in extreme conditions to contain several large fires in sagebrush ecosystems, small communities, and land where ranchers have grazing permits. Dry grass and brush, steep terrain, and low humidity continue to drive intense fires.
The MP 22 Fire is burning in the same area, now at 4,230 acres with 42% containment. Some fire crews are being assigned to other fires. To the east, the Adobe Mtn Fire is only 10% contained after burning 10,668 acres. Bulldozers have been working on the fireโs east flank, getting around a 6,000-acre run while crews reinforced the line there. โFirefighters are focused on building a solid black edge (containment line) on the southeast, with support from Utah county resources,โ according to the BLM.
