North Schell Fire

Smoke is traveling over Snake Valley, and we had a chance to look at the source on the way to Ely.

Here's a view coming down off Sacramento Pass down towards Spring Valley:

With yesterday's high winds (red-flag warning, in fact) and hot temperatures (95 in Baker), the fire really cooked.

When I looked up the fire last night, it said it was 2,500 acres. I knew there would be an update by this morning, and the new number is 22,400 acres.

Here's the incident overview as of 6/18/12:

Incident Overview

Firefighters continue to battle the approximately 22,000-acre North Schell Fire that is burning on Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and privately-owned lands on the east side of the Schell Mountain Range, about 20 miles north of Ely, Nev.

The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain and consuming white fir, mountain mahogany, pinion-pine, juniper, sagebrush and grasses. One structure, a mobile home, has burned. The occupant evacuated without injury. Public and firefighter safety, and protection of sage grouse and mule deer winter habitat, and private property are the top priority.

State Route 893 between U.S. Highway 50 and Schellbourne Pass, and Kalamazoo Road remain closed until further notice due to the increase in fire vehicle traffic. The public is encouraged to stay out of the fire area.

The Troy Phelps Type III Incident Management Team is scheduled at 6 a.m., Monday, June 18, to take over management of the fire.

The North Schell Fire began Saturday, June 9, as a Forest Service prescribed burn north of Kalamazoo Road.

You can get more info and all the updates at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/2915/