Photos by Ty O’Neil
Update, July 10
Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said the Beckwourth Complex fire no longer poses an immediate threat to Washoe County and evacuation orders have been lifted. It urges residents to remain vigilant.
The evacuation center at Hug High School is closed due to no attendance. Residents can retrieve their animals from the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center.
The Sugar Fire portion of the Beckwourth Complex fire grew Friday and overnight. Officials are reporting the complex has reached just over 55,000 acres and is 9% contained. During night operations, theyadded, “firefighters were successful in conducting strategic firing operations from bulldozer lines constructed on the south flank of the fire to guide fire back up into the main body of it.”
Officials will host a virtual community meeting to provide updates Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and streamed on the Plumas National Forest Facebook page. They also suggest residents sign up for their county’s CodRed emergency alert system. The link for Washoe County is https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/169EBBD0A3AE.
Update, July 9, 6:15 p.m.
Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said it is actively asking residents to evacuate the west side of North Red Rock Road from the California state line south, including Rodeo Drive and Saddle Lane.
Update, July 9, 4:45 p.m.
Truckee Meadows Fire Protect District and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office just before 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 9 that residents in the Rancho Haven and Flanagan Flats areas north of Reno are being evacuated. Those leaving the area should travel to the south on Red Rock Road.
Hugh High School at 2880 Sutro St. has been established as the evacuation point for people and small animals. Those with large animals can evacuate to the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center.
WCSO said its deputies and Search and Rescue teams are at the north end of Rancho Have at the California state line and are working south down the Red Rock Road corridor to assist with notifying area residents and evacuating the area. They request that people stay out of the area.
By 11:20 a.m. the Beckwourth Complex fire had grown to more than 24,500 acres and containment has shrunk to 11%. Updates are available online at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7601/.
Original Story
Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, via Twitter, said late Thursday night that it is closely monitoring the Beckwourth Complex fire burning northwest of Reno, just west of Highway 395 near Frenchman Lake.
Residents should not call to report the fire, officials advised. Announcements will be made as conditions change, but as of Thursday TMFPD officials said the fires pose no threat to Washoe County residents.
Flames are visible from the North Valleys, Cold Springs, Red Rock and Rancho Haven.
Two separate fires, the Dotta and Sugar fires, are a part of the complex and were caused by lightning strikes on June 30 and July 2, respectively. Together they’ve grown to more than 14,000 acres and are just 30% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Hot, dry and windy conditions have led to the fires’ growth.
Helicopters, large and very large air tankers (LATS and VLATS), and fixed wing aircraft are attacking the fire from the air, while dozers, engine teams and firefighters are working on the ground.
Some communities in the area, all within California, have been evacuated. The most recent evacuation order was handed down at 8 p.m. Thursday for residents from the north end of Constantia Road where it intersects with Highway 395 South to Red Rock Road on the west side of Highway 395.
Updates on the fire are available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7601/
