2 Nevada fires have burned over 17,000 acres, officials say

The Wilder Fire near the Idaho border has grown to more than 16,830 acres since it was reported around 11:23 a.m. Sunday while the North Creek fire north of Ely, which started hours later around 4:25 p.m., has consumed approximately 1,100 acres as of Monday, according to Bureau of Land Management officials.

The wind-driven Wilder fire, which is being fed by tall grass and brush, is currently 40 percent contained, and its cause has not yet been determined. The fire is not expected to be fully contained until Friday.

On Monday morning, officials said firefighters were continuing to hold the north, west and southern containment lines created by fire crews on Sunday, and are using hand crews, engines, fire dozers and aircraft to suppress the flames.

“The Eastern perimeter of the fire that is in the Bilk Creek Mountains is being checked up by hand crews and aircraft that will continue to be actively worked on for the next several days,” the Bureau of Land Management said in a Facebook post Monday.

North Creek was 10 percent contained as of Monday evening and is not expected to be contained until July 14, officials said.

The BLM has determined that North Creek was started by humans, though the agency did not share specifics on how the fire was started.

Officials said there is still a potential threat to private property in the area.

“The fire is burning in steep and rugged terrain, consuming pinyon-pine and juniper, brush, and grass,” the BLM said. “Extremely dry fuels, combined with record-breaking temperatures and low Relative Humidity will make for very high fire danger levels over the next several days.”

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory in and around Ely from Tuesday morning through Friday evening, with Denio, the nearest town to the Wilder Fire, also under an excessive heat warning through Friday evening.

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.