American Flat fire destroys fire engine

A thunderstorm sparked a series of fires across Northern Nevada Saturday afternoon sending crews to the Sierra Nevada, the Pine Nut Mountains and into the Virginia Range where a Lyon County fire engine was burned over.

The crew of the engine escaped injury when the vehicle became stuck fighting the American Flat fire and was overrun by flames. The engine was not so lucky, said Elayne Briggs, Sierra Front fire information officer.

The fire had burned 20 acres at press time. Four hand crews and engines were set to spend the night watching the fire that was reported just before 6 p.m. American Flat, 4 to 5 miles southwest of Virginia City, is home to a residence and at least two mill sites, one of which is considered historic.

While structures were threatened initially, none were lost, Briggs said.

Briggs said the fire, that began on the Storey/Lyon county line, may have been caused by lightning, but the cause was under investigation.

Crews from Storey and Lyon counties, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the Bureau of Land Management put aircraft, a helicopter, a dozer and multiple engines to work on the blaze.

Carson City Fire Department's engine No. 2 was called in to help protect structures at about 7:15 p.m.

Helen Frazier, intelligence dispatcher for the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center in Minden said the fire near Old Power Line Road in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada was quickly stopped by NDF and U.S. Forest Service crews. The fire burned about one-quarter acre west of Foothill Road in the Carson Valley. The fire was reported at 4:45 p.m.

Across the valley, the McTarnihan fire burned about three-quarters of an acre before BLM crews and smoke jumpers stopped its spread. The fire reported at 5:30 p.m. was east of the Johnson Lane area in the Pine Nut Mountains.

More lightning is predicted for the next few days.

Residents are reminded that though there has been rainfall in the last few days, fire danger remains high and fuels are extremely dry.

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Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch

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