Firefighters make progress on Washington Fire near Markleeville
Submitted by editor on Wed, 06/24/2015 - 5:58am
GARDNERVILLE, Nev. — UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch reports firefighters made progress Tuesday on the 16,553-acre Washington Fire eight miles south of Markleeville, Calif. Lighter winds and conditions more conducive to aggressive ground and air suppression helped crews contain five percent of the fire by the end of the day.
Firefighters made significant progress around the entire fire perimeter, with their priority being the line along the north of State Highway 89. The primary tactical priority is to prevent the fire from reaching Markleeville. The next priorities are to buttress the lines along Wolf Creek and the Leviathan Mine reclamation site.
According to Sierra Front, several campgrounds along Highway 4 to the north end of Markleeville remain evacuated. For the safety of the public and active fire suppression activities, Highways 4 and 89 in the Monitor Pass area remain closed, as do the Turtle Rock and Indian Creek campgrounds.
Markleeville residents remain under an evacuation advisory issued by Alpine County Sherriff’s Office. No mandatory evacuations are in effect at this time.
Twelve helicopters and 8 air tankers support the suppression effort on the fires, dropping retardant, ferrying equipment and supplies, transporting firefighters, and providing essential surveillance of areas far inside the perimeter not safely accessible by foot. Other key resources include 19 engines, 10 water tenders, and 19 crews. There are approximately 500 personnel assigned to the fire.
Wednesday’s weather forecast calls for sunny, hazy, and increasing temperatures with northerly light winds in the afternoon. Lightning with little associated rain is anticipated beginning Friday.
Smoke from the Washington Fire in Alpine County drifted over Carson Valley early Tuesday morning, causing poor air quality conditions throughout the day. The air quality will likely remain compromised at points over the next several days. Sierra Front officials urged the public to use precautions when driving, keeping in mind that visibility could be limited. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Wildfires/ for information regarding the potential effects of wildfire smoke.
Air quality should continue to fluctuate in the Valley as fire suppression efforts progress.
Go to the Carson Valley Times here for full updates, photos, maps and more.
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