Firefighters gain ground on wildfires

RENO — Fire crews reported progress Thursday on wild- land blazes that have blackened some 290 square miles across Northern Nevada in the past week.

Two of the largest were in mop-up stages, and the third was nearing containment.

The state’s largest fire, the Highway 93 Complex near Jackpot and the Idaho line, grew to 81,833 acres but was holding at 128 square miles and was 70 percent contained, Elko Interagency Dispatch Center Manager Bill Roach said.

"We’re keeping our fingers crossed," Roach said. "So far, we’ve been lucky and haven’t had any new starts."

Forecasters were calling for scattered thunderstorms into the weekend.

Rain helped quench the state’s other large fire, the 62,000-acre Tungsten blaze just north of Imlay. Crews were being released after containment of the 97-square-mile fire.

The Thomas fire just southwest of Winnemucca, which forced evacuations as it burned to the backyards of some homes earlier in the week, was contained at 22,650 acres or 35 square miles.

The most active fire in the state was the Balls Canyon blaze near U.S. 395 at the California line north of Reno.

Started by lightning Tuesday night, it had burned 4,647 acres and was 15 percent contained early Thursday.