Coleville fire jumps highway driven by high winds

High winds led to a flare-up of the Larson fire about 10 a.m. Tuesday in Coleville, spreading the flames over more than 500 acres and closing schools by Tuesday morning. Evacuations are mandatory from Larson to Cunningham Lanes where 250 structures are threatened, according to information from the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.

The fire is burning on both sides of Highway 395 and there is no aerial support for this fire due to the high winds and "type one" teams are being called in to fight the fire, according to Nancy Upham, spokeswoman for the Inyo National Forest in Bishop, Calif.

"This is a national team with high-level experience sent anywhere in the nation," Upham said. "They're called in to handle more complex fires, or when larger scale evacuations are necessary."

Highway 395 is closed from Bridgeport to the Nevada state line due to the flames, as is southbound traffic at Holbrook Junction. Travellers are asked to use Highway 182, the press release said.

Power is out in the Coleville/Walker area, about 40 miles south of Gardnerville.

The fire flared first above Coleville High School, according to preliminary reports.

All Coleville Elementary and High School students have been evacuated to the Marine Base Housing Community Center. Residents are being asked to evacuate to Eastside Lane where they will be directed by Mono County deputies to Walker, the press release said.