Fire spokeswoman Jenn Diamond speaks with reporters as the Conner Fire burns in the background on Friday afternoon.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
The Conner Fire has spread out of the 2020 Numbers Fire burn scar and into the trees, sending a big black plume into the air that’s visible from Yerington.
“There’s more vegetation out there, so it looks like it’s burning more,” Conner Fire spokeswoman Jenn Diamond told reporters. “It’s getting into the heavier fuels.”
The fire has grown exponentially during the day, starting with a structure fire in Pine View Estates and then spreading north into the Pine Nuts.
As of 2:45 p.m. the fire is continuing to burn on the western flank of the Pine Nuts, despite visibility from around the region.
Aircraft including two helicopters, and a tanker were flying around 2 p.m., but there were concerns that the wind could ground them should it continue.
A wind gauge located south of Fish Springs indicated a 56 mph gust with sustained winds of 32-37 mph around 2:30 p.m.
A wind advisory is in effect for much of Nevada through 11 p.m. today and a red flag warning until midnight.
Southwest 30-plus mph wind gusts were supposed to slow down after 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. That’s when the wind is expected to shift to the west, which could send the fire further into the Pine Nuts.
The Numbers Fire was the last big blaze to strike the Pine Nuts, consuming 18,380 acres and claiming as many as 43 different structures, including several homes.
While the 2021 Tamarack Fire did burn across Highway 395 into the Pine Nuts it didn’t burn nearly as much acreage, though it claimed a half-dozen homes.