Long Valley, Doyle

Long Valley, Northern California District, BLM. IMT 2 (Fogle). Fifty miles north of Reno, NV. Brush and short grass. Minimal fire behavior. Road closures in effect.

July 22, 2017 at 3:33 PM

After 10 days of intensive firefighting with afternoon winds and 2 days of red flag warnings in very dry fuels, the Long Valley fire is contained. SoCal Team 1, the incident management team managing the fire, would like to thank our firefighters for their good work, the hosting agencies for their support and the citizens of both Lassen County California and Washoe County Nevada for their positive thoughts, prayers – and good behavior, enabling our firefighters to finish their work.

This is going to be a long hot summer, so be careful in your activities and stay safe.

July 21, 2017 at 6:47 AM

Fire Crews are patrolling the fire perimeter to ensure full containment. Due to the direct suppression tactics applied to the fire line, there is no anticipated movement of the perimeter. Resource Advisors will also continue to patrol and assess for any new damage to infrastructure, private property, cultural resources and habitat as suppression repair continues simultaneously with firefighting efforts.

The fire will be returned to the local jurisdiction tonight. This will be the last update from the Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 for the Long Valley Fire.

An air quality advisory continues for today. Smoke from the Detwiler Fire in Mariposa County, CA, nearly 300 miles away continues to produce decreased air quality and visibility for communities in the Reno area. The smoke is not from the Long Valley Fire. Due to the diminished air quality, people are advised to remain indoors and avoid strenuous outdoor activities in the affected areas.

July 19, 2017 at 8:04 AM

Firefighters worked around the clock securing the containment lines around the fire. Today the focus is on extinguishing hot spots, patrolling the fire perimeter and beginning suppression repair. The spike camp at Sutcliffe will be closed at the end of shift today.

Suppression repair for the fire will begin on the southeast flank and work northwest working congruently with the Resource Advisors. The focus remains in protecting habitat for the Sage Grouse, Mule Deer, Carson Wandering Skipper butterfly, and the cultural resources in the fire area.

Some unburned islands of vegetation continue to smolder and smoke may be visible from within the burn area. Fire crews are monitoring the fire area.

Please continue to watch for fire vehicles travelling around in the area as crews finish the job of extinguishing the fire and working on suppression repair.

From today on, there will be one update per day.

July 18, 2017 at 6:59 PM

Fire is expected to hold at its current size. The potential for control lines to be compromised remains due to Red Flag weather conditions over the fire area. All evacuations have been lifted however, a structure threat remains. Trail and road closures in effect. Threat remains to Pyramid Lake recreational area, and utility infrastructures that services Reno and the surrounding area.

July 18, 2017 at 8:09 AM

The fire has withstood high winds gusts of over 30 mph with no reported spot fires. Forward progression of the fire was held overnight; the amount of acreage burned has remained the same since our evening report. A spike camp for fire personnel is now set up in Sutcliffe. Helicopters will continue to work closely with ground forces today to construct and improve fire lines, and mop-up work will continue.

The evacuation advisory for the community of Sutcliffe has been lifted. Nevada State Route 445 is now open north of its intersection with Nevada State Route 446.

A red flag warning will be in place today between 12 PM and 8 PM. Strong winds and very low humidity are expected again and could cause renewed fire behavior. The fire conditions could increase without warning, and the situation remains dynamic. Residents living in or around the fire area should continue to monitor the situation for any changes today.

The fire area looks much better today, however, firefighters are still working throughout the area. Please stay clear and support the firefighters in completing the job.

July 17, 2017 at 7:40 PM

Air tankers and helicopters worked closely with ground forces today to construct and improve fire lines. The fire withstood high winds gusts of over 30 mph with no reported spot fires. Forward progression of the fire was held today; the amount of acreage burned has remained the same since our morning report. A spike camp for fire personnel is being set up in Sutcliffe. Additional fire line improvement and mop-up will continue tonight. The evacuation advisory will remain in place for the community of Sutcliffe. Nevada State Route 445 remains closed north of its intersection with Nevada State Route 446.

Firefighters are working hard to strengthen containment lines. There are currently 25 handcrews, 49 engines, 14 dozers, 15 water tenders, 14 helicopters, and 8 fixed wing aircraft on the incident. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.

An evacuation advisory remains in effect for Sutcliffe on Pyramid Lake. The Nixon Gym continues to serve as the evacuation center.

Nixon Gym
301 Hwy 447
Nixon, NV

Nevada State Route 445 is closed to traffic in both directions north of SR-446 in Washoe County. The Ft. Sage OHV Area is still closed due to fire activity. Call Washoe County Sheriff’s Office at 775-785-9276 for more information on evacuations and closures.

A red flag warning remains in effect for today until 9 p.m. and Tuesday between noon and 8 p.m. Strong winds and very low humidity will cause an increase in fire behavior, particularly during afternoon hours. The fire conditions may change without warning, and the situation is dynamic. People in or around the fire area should constantly monitor the situation, and be prepared to evacuate when advised. Residents near fire areas should be packed with a go-bag with important documents, identification, clothing, and any special needs.

July 17, 2017 at 8:21 AM

Last night’s fire progressed towards the community of Sutcliffe on Pyramid Lake in Nevada. An evacuation advisory was issued for that community. Firefighters and equipment were staged at the community during the night but the fire did not threaten Sutcliffe. Today crews and aircraft will continue with community protection and line construction and strengthening around the fire.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for today and tomorrow between noon and 8 PM each day. Strong winds and very low humidity are expected and will cause an increase in fire behavior this afternoon. The fire conditions may change without warning, and the situation is dynamic. People in or around the fire area should constantly monitor the situation, and be prepared to evacuate when advised. Residents should be packed with a go-bag with important documents, identification, clothing, and any special needs.

Members of the public are being observed out on the fire line despite being warned of the hazards. People are being asked to avoid the fire area for their safety, and to not impede firefighting efforts. Please keep our firefighters focused on the fire.

In the event of evacuation, the Nixon Gym will be the evacuation center.
Nixon Gym, 301 Hwy 447, Nixon, NV
Contact: Fire Information (831) 265-4193

July 16, 2017 at 8:21 PM

Pyramid Lake Paiute: Attention Sutcliffe Residents: There will be a Voluntary Evacuation advisory issued by BLM starting at 8 pm.

Fire behavior has moderated to predominately short head fire runs, flanking and short range spotting. Evacuations are in progress. An estimated 14,613 acres of primary sage grouse habitat and 17,014 acres of general sage grouse habitat has been burned. Threats remain to multiple residential subdivisions, utility infrastructure serving several major metropolitan areas of CA and NV, communications towers, Sierra Army Depot, Union Pacific rail lines, grazing allotments and sage grouse habitat

July 16, 2017 at 12:43 PM

The only current evacuation advisories in effect for the Long Valley Fire are for the Sutcliffe area. An evacuation center has been established at the Nixon Gym.

The Rancho Haven advisory has been lifted and the Evacuation Centers at O’Brien Middle School and Live Stock Center have been closed.

July 16, 2017 at 8:00 AM

Fire crews faced another day of intense fire activity. The receptive fuels of cheat grass, sage brush and juniper combined with the weather factors of high temperature, low humidity and wind resulted in a fast moving aggressive fire front. Poor relative humidity recovery resulted in continued active fire burning throughout the night.

The fire has extended southeast to Moonstone Road and Winnemucca Ranch Road and is travelling eastward towards Pyramid Lake. The fire is currently on Tule Ridge in the Dogskin Mountains.

Fire crews worked hard to keep the fire north of the Rancho Haven community through direct attack on the fire and utilizing structure protection with multiple agencies. The Ortiz Camp suffered direct fire contact and no structures were lost due to the hard work of both ground resources and air assets.

An Advisory Evacuation Order has been issued for Sutcliffe, the Grass Valley area of the Palomino Valley, and east on Winnemucca Ranch Road. All other evacuation advisories remain in place. An evacuation Center has been set up:

Nixon Gym
301 Hwy 447
Nixon, NV

July 15, 2017 at 8:50 PM

The mid-afternoon winds intensified fire activity again today, prompting an evacuation of a camp facility and an evacuation advisory for a community to be issued. The temperature rose into the mid 90’s today with single digit relative humidities which made firefighting challenging. Currently, a flank of the fire is pushing eastward from the Dry Valley Creek area towards Black Canyon.

The progression of the fire eastward prompted evacuation of the staff members of the Ortiz Ranch camp facility this morning. Firefighters set up defense of the camp, and were able to prevent the site from being burned. Camp scheduled for this week was canceled; no campers were in the camp.

At midday, the fire progressed towards the community of Rancho Haven located south of the Dry Valley Creek area. Washoe County Sheriff’s Department advised residents to evacuate under an evacuation advisory. Firefighting effort was accomplished with both air support and ground crews. A retardant line was dropped on the southern flank of the fire which aided firefighters in preventing the fire from reaching Rancho Haven. Firefighters are currently assigned to the area to ensure the fire does not come towards the community.

Evacuation centers available are O’Brien Middle School and the Livestock Event Center for large animals. They will be open until further notice.

July 15, 2017 at 12:50 PM

Rancho Haven and Winnemucca Ranch evacuate if necessary to O’Brien Middle School. Large animals to Livestock Event Center.

Last night, the fire was active around State Line Peak and Dry Valley. Today, firefighters are building and strengthening containment lines in these areas. Helicopters will be active in the Fort Sage Mountains around State Line Peak and air tankers will be working in Dry Valley. With the afternoon winds, active fire is expected south and east of Dry Valley. Fire is now within one mile of Rancho Haven, evacuations are now in effect for that area.

July 14, 2017 at 9:10 PM

Fire activity increased today due to high temperatures and low humidity. A significant wind driven push of the fire threatened the Dry Valley area and created a heavy smoke plume in the fire area.

Aircraft and fire crews on the ground slowed the fire spread towards the Dry Valley area, and night crews will continue these efforts. Firefighters are focused on keeping the fire north of Dry Valley and preventing further fire spread towards the town of Doyle and the Virginia Mountain area.

Resources threatened by the Long Valley fire include grazing allotments, cultural area, Sage Grouse, and the rare Carson Wandering Skipper (butterfly).

There is a potential impact to the recreation area of Pyramid Lake due to smoke over the weekend and voluntary evacuations remain in place on Fish Springs Road and Winnemucca Ranch Road. The Fort Sage Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) area has been closed until further notice due to the proximity of the fire.

July 14, 2017 at 4:18 PM

Firefighters continue to fight the Long Valley Fire, located two miles northeast of Doyle in Lassen County and Washoe County Nevada. The fire is burning in grass and brush. The fire is moving rapidly up steep slopes and is now at 35,000 acres with current containment at 24 percent.

Voluntary evacuations remain in place on Fish Springs Road and Winnemucca Ranch Road. The Fort Sage Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) area has been closed until further notice due to the proximity of the fire.

Fire crews continue to build and improve containment lines around the fire. There is active fire in the State Line Peak area. Firefighting efforts will continue today on the ground with very active aircraft support dropping water and retardant.

Firefighters are focused on preventing the fire from impacting the town of Doyle and the Pyramid Lake area. Resource advisors are working closely with firefighters to prevent further impacts to the Sage Grouse and Carson Wandering Skipper habitat.

SoCal Team 1, a Federal Interagency Incident Management Team took over the incident from The Sierra Front Team and is managing the fire. Multiple Fire and Law Enforcement agencies across the state line are working closely on this incident.

July 13, 2017 at 9:13 PM

Vigorous containment efforts on the fire continued today, from the ground and from the air.

A wide variety of air tankers, including four heavy air tankers, four “super scoopers”, one single engine air tanker, and a very large air tanker (VLAT) made multiple retardant and water drops on the perimeter of the fire. Helicopters were also very active with bucket work on the fire.

On the ground, six dozers and two hand crews worked hard to strengthen fire lines and containment increased to 20%. Today’s effort on the ground followed on the heels of overnight suppression operations. As a result of these efforts, the fire grew relatively slowly today.

The Long Valley Fire started July 11, 2017 at approximately 1:30 p.m. Since its start, five outbuildings have burned and three residences have been damaged, but no primary residences have been destroyed. No structures were lost or damaged today.

SoCal Team 1, a type 2 incident management team, will assume control of firefighting efforts at 6 a.m., Friday morning.

Evacuations: Multiple structures are threatened and evacuations have been requested for 12 residences with structure protection in place. Closures: Ft. Sage Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) Area remains closed due to fire activity. As a precautionary measure, the Mason Ortiz Youth Outdoor Skills Camp has canceled this weekend’s activities (July 14 -16) due to the close proximity of the fire.

July 13, 2017 at 11:57 AM

Overnight, crews made good progress on the fire. 2 dozers, 2 hand crews and 10 engines worked throughout the night to suppress the fire’s eastward movement. Their efforts kept the fire from advancing over the Virginia Mountains.

The Long Valley Fire started July 11, 2017 at approximately 1:30 p.m. and has burned approximately 30,500 acres of grass and brush as of this time with 10% containment. Five outbuildings have also burned and three residences have been damaged, but no primary residences have destroyed. In addition, seven vehicles were destroyed.

One of the natural resource objectives of the fire team is to protect the habitat of the Carson Wandering Skipper, an endangered species. The Carson Wandering Skipper is a small orange-brownish butterfly that is only found in small areas within the vicinity of the fire.

Due to the complexity of the fire, Great Basin Incident Management Team 2 is on order and expected to assume responsibility for the fire on July 14 at 6 a.m.

Evacuations: Multiple structures are threatened and evacuations have been requested for 12 residences with structure protection in place.

Road Closures: Ft Sage Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) Area is closed due to fire activity.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

July 12, 2017 at 10:08 PM

The Long Valley Fire started July 11, 2017 at approximately 1:30 p.m. and has burned approximately 20,500 acres of grass and brush as of this time with 3% containment. Five outbuildings have also burned and three residences have been damaged, but no primary residences have destroyed. In addition, seven vehicles were destroyed.

Extreme fire behavior has been observed with short-range spotting and uphill runs.

Weather should remain hot and dry for the next week with afternoon temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and typical afternoon winds. Fair to poor overnight humidity recovery is forecasted.

Scott Fraser’s Sierra Front Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed responsibility for firefighting efforts at 6 p.m. today. Crews will be engaged in 24-hour suppression efforts.

Due to the complexity of the fire, a Type 2 incident management team is on order and expected to assume responsibility for the fire on July 14 at 6 a.m.

Evacuations: Multiple structures are threatened and evacuations have been requested for 12 residences with structure protection in place.

Road Closures: Ft Sage Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) Area is closed due to fire activity.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

July 12, 2017 at 9:33 PM

Extreme rate of spread due to dry fuels and high winds. CA IMT2 Fogle has been assigned and will in brief tomorrow at 1600. Fire continues to burn into Nevada towards Winnemucca Ranch Rd near Pyramid Lake. Structures and Sage Grouse habitat threatened.

July 12, 2017 at 3:24 PM

As of 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 12, the Long Valley Fire has burned an estimated 20,000 acres of grass and brush land. The blaze has also burned three structures. Evacuation orders, put in place Tuesday afternoon for the California (western) portion of the fire have been lifted. Helicopters and air tankers have been assigned to assist fire engines and ground crews that are constructing fire lines.

Afternoon winds, high temperatures and dry fuels are challenging the firefighters and are causing the fire to spread, according to Emily Ryan, assistant field manager for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eagle Lake Field Office. “Public land users and nearby residents are urged to stay away from the fire area for their own safety”.

The BLM has temporarily closed the Fort Sage Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, near Doyle, to protect the public from wildfire.

July 12, 2017 at 6:29 AM

This fire is burning brush and grass about two miles north of the Lassen County, Calif. community of Doyle.

Critical rate of spread with short range spotting. Fire is burning toward Fish Springs Nevada. Union Pacific tracks have been compromised, railroad traffic has been suspended. Structures threatened. Evacuations in progress.