Carson City Fire Chief: Voltaire cleanup underway, no lost structures and no injuries
Tuesday's Voltaire Fire in south Carson City off of Curry Street is contained at 135 acres and currently in mop-up phase with crews remaining to watch for hot spots, said Carson City Fire Department Chief Sean Slamon.
No structures were lost and there were no injuries reported during a very unpredictable and erratic fire that started after 2 p.m. from a lightning strike.
Within minutes of the lightning strike, Slamon and the Battalion Chief ordered air support.
"The fire was well advanced on our arrival. We had some erratic winds and knowing the area, and the immediate threat of structures, the aircraft was called in," said Slamon.
Speaking of erratic winds, the fire produced a very large and visible fire whirl, also known as a "fire tornado" that didn't help matters, Slamon explained.
"The biggest danger is the fire creates its own wind when its large enough and so that puts firefighters in a very dangerous position," he said.
As for Wednesday activity, crews remain on scene taking care of hot spots. At the peak of Tuesday's fire, 100 firefighters were assigned to the fire as well as two airplanes and two helicopters.
"The firefighters did an awesome job out there," he said.
Meanwhile, two other fires in the region exploded in size overnight. The Micro Fire near Stagecoach grew to 1,100 acres as did the Lyons Fire in the Pine Nut Mountains, with an estimated size-up Wednesday morning at 1,176 acres. Containment of both of the fires is unknown at this time.
The Genoa Peak Fire remains at around 10-15 acres, according to Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest officials. Go here for an updated story on firefighting efforts in Carson Valley.