Monday morning Davis Fire update: 85 percent contained, Mt. Rose Highway open
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 09/16/2024 - 9:43am
The Davis Fire is now 85 percent contained, having burned 5,824 acres, fire officials said in a Monday morning briefing.
Highlights: Firefighters made great progress over the last few days, allowing Mt. Rose Highway to reopen to the public Sunday.
With the opening of this road, please continue to travel with caution in the area for the safety of the public and the firefighters. Backhaul operations are being executed on the north and east sides of the fire, as crews remove equipment off the fireline. Sprinklers are being removed from the southern section of the fire, as the line becomes more secure. With firefighter safety in mind, operations will be done at a deliberate pace. With containment increasing to a considerable amount, firefighting resources are being reassigned to other wildfire incidents with greater need, so we are beginning to see a drop in numbers.
Weather: Widespread showers with isolated embedded thunderstorms are possible today, with a quarter to half inch of rain. The average max temperature will be 55 degrees, with a cold morning in the high thirties. Winds will be westward at 8-12 mph, with gusts up to 22 mph. This will result in diminished fire behavior with possible flash floods.
Evacuations: For updates on evacuation statuses please visit: https://perimetermap.com. For residents who need to discard spoiled food items and other waste, Waste Management will provide one dumpster at the Truckee Meadows Fire Station at 4000 Joy Lake Road and one dumpster at US-395 and Eastlake Boulevard. To sign up for future evacuation alerts and warnings, go here.
Closures: The USDA Forest Service has issued an emergency closure order on the Davis Fire. This closure is in place for the safety of both the firefighters and the public. The closure boundary runs along the Thomas Creek Road to the north, eastside of the Mt. Rose Wilderness and Forest boundaries to the west, Nevada State Route 877 (Franktown Road) to the south, and the Forest boundary to east (west of U.S. Interstate 580).
All roads, trails, and developed recreation sites on National Forest System lands in this area are closed this includes a small portion of the Tahoe Rim Trail that comes in and out of Tahoe Meadows. In cooperation with the Forest Service, the Washoe County Parks and Recreation has also closed their developed recreation sites and trails that are found in the closure area. For more details, please refer to the Emergency Fire Closure document and map here.
Investigation: Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office are leading the investigation into the cause of the Davis Fire. If you have credible information, or if you were in the vicinity of the day-use area at Davis Creek Regional Park at the start of the fire, contact 775-326-6079 or email: info@tmfpd.us.
