Several plumes of smoke from the Conner Fire rise in the Pine Nut Mountains above Carson Valley around noon Saturday.
Evacuations have been lifted across the area affected by the Conner Fire as of 5 p.m. Saturday, according to https://app.perimeterplatform.com/incidents/polygon/63651 which is indicating it is safe for residents top return.
Cooler temperatures and a shift in the wind slowed the fire's spread with Inciwep reporting it at 17,353 acres as of Saturday evening.
There might have been a little precipitation in the Pine Nuts as temperatures dropped into the upper 50s to help slow things down.
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The Conner Fire traded one big plume for several smaller ones on Saturday morning .
By noon one of the larger plumes appeared to be burning near Buckeye Creek. Fire mapping shows the fire has not crested the Pine Nut Mountains at noon.
Indications from the Fire Information for Resource Management System confirms the fire has burned 14,000 acres, with the largest plume about 9 miles due east of Grandview Estates.
The fire was pushed 13 miles northeast from where it started in Pine View Estates after Friday’s gale force winds.
According to nvenergy.com, 96 power company customers have their power turned off due to the fire.
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A 180-degree shift in the winds may help turn the 13,900-acre Conner Fire away from Fish Springs, but it could drive the fire south into new areas.
Those winds aren’t forecast to come anywhere near what the southwest winds that increased the size of the fire sevenfold over 12 hours between noon and midnight on Friday.
Sustained southwest winds around 40 mph, gusted to a maximum of 62 mph at a gauge near Fish Springs around 4 p.m. Friday driving the fire into new fuels and sending up a huge column of smoke visible from all over Western Nevada.
Today’s winds are predicted to be out of the north at 5-15 mph, gusting to 25 mph.
Friday’s high winds grounded firefighting aircraft, which were trying to get ahead of the blaze.
As of Saturday morning, there is no report of containment on any firefighting sites.
"Overnight, dozers made solid progress, establishing anchor points off Pinenut Road above Robinson Road and pushing north-northeast toward Lone Pine Road," fire information officer Jenn Diamond said. "Today, crews are focused on strengthening containment lines, continuing structure protection efforts where needed, and conducting mop-up operations to extinguish residual heat along the fire’s edge. In the higher elevations, greener, less cured fuels are helping to slow fire behavior, offering some advantage to suppression efforts."
On Friday, the Conner Fire sent up a smoke plume that was visible from across the region.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, 489 firefighters are working the blaze as of Saturday morning, mostly in 32 engines and a half-dozen hand crews, supported by 10 dozers, six air tankers and five helicopters.
The fire started in Pine View Estates where two homes were lost before it spread to the wildland.
Hand crews, engines, and dozers from multiple agencies including local, state, and federal partners from both Nevada and California—are actively engaged on the ground to contain the fire.
A Type 3 Incident Management Team has been ordered to support the ongoing firefighting operations and provide enhanced coordination and strategic planning.
Evacuations have been expanded, residents are urged to stay informed and prepared as conditions can change rapidly.