lightning

Carson High School Theatre Arts teacher Andie Wilkerson and her students earned multiple awards from the Nevada State Thespian Festival last weekend.

The Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation is holding an Open House at the Wungnema House in Mills Park Sunday, Dec. 17 from 2 to 5 p.m.

The joyful sounds of bells chiming from atop the Paul Laxalt building in downtown Carson City came to an abrupt halt over the summer because of equipment power failure, said Public Information Officer Mary Woods of the Nevada Department of Administration.

Carson Now Reader Brian Diiccaro submitted this lightning strike video over Carson City Wednesday afternoon:

UPDATE 5:47PM: Much of the localized flooding from the heavy rain has subsided. Winds are calm with a few lighting strikes still happening. There are no longer any severe weather warnings for Carson City.
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UPDATE 5:15PM: The Tornado Warning has expired. Flooding throughout Carson City is being reported as rush hours begins. William Street from Mills Park, College Parkway, Roop Street, and Saliman all experiencing flooding issues. Much of the heavy rain has now moved on though there are several lightning strikes still around Carson City.

UPDATE 6:57PM: Carson City Fire Department reports there is not a brush fire off of Clear Creek Road.
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Multiple lighting strikes Tuesday night have sent the Carson City Fire Department to brush fire calls off of Old Clear Creek Road and in the Goni Road and Duck Hill areas.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are developing Tuesday afternoon in the Sierra and are expected to move into the Lake Tahoe region, Carson City, Carson Valley, Central Lyon County, and far western Nevada later today, according to the National Weather Service.

A low pressure system off the California coast will provide western Nevada, Carson City and the eastern Sierra with the conditions ripe for thunderstorm development Monday through Wednesday mainly in the afternoon/evening hours with the strongest storms on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Scattered thunderstorms are building around Carson City this Friday afternoon with the area already experiencing some lightning and light rain.

Strong thunderstorms are on tap for Wednesday afternoon and evening in Carson City, western Nevada and the Sierra, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Fire Weather Watch.

The National Weather Service in Reno advises that isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms have begun to develop Tuesday afternoon through the Western Nevada basin and range into Carson City. Lightning strikes were being reported throughout the area as well as rain showers in Carson City.

Firefighters battling the Slinkard Fire that started by lightning a week ago west of Topaz have reached 74 percent containment as of Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The fire has burned 9,093 acres.

CARSON CITY — The crews aboard two Nevada Army Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters will begin firefighting efforts Friday at the Slinkard Fire at Topaz Lake near the Nevada and California state border.

UPDATE FRIDAY 2:15PM: Voluntary evacuations are underway west of Topaz, Calif., according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Sierra Front reports the fire, believed to have started by lightning on Tuesday, has burned an estimated 7,200 acres and is zero percent contained as of Friday afternoon.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Tuesday night in Carson City and portions of western Nevada and eastern California, according to the National Weather Service.

The award-winning ribs served up by Carson City BBQ are among the 22 entries for the 29th annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off that begins this Wednesday, Aug. 30 and runs through Monday, Sept. 4 at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks.

The threat of thunderstorms expected to arrive in Carson City and Western Nevada Tuesday afternoon and last through Wednesday has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Fire Weather Watch for the region.

With firefighting efforts focused Tuesday on the Voltaire Fire in Carson City, a small fire two miles south of Spooner Summit continues to burn, but has not had a rapid spread, fire officials said Wednesday.

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.

UPDATE 9:55AM: The Lyons Fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountains northeast of Sunrise Pass in Douglas County has grown to 1,176 acres, according to Sierra Front.
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A fire that began Tuesday afternoon southeast of Stagecoach in Lyon County exploded to 1,100 acres overnight, according to Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.

I’m really hoping for rain. Unfortunately, rain brings thunder and lightning with it, and we are already suffering the effects of lightning. Thanks and praises to the men and women fighting the fire in Voltaire Canyon and for all of your hard work keeping those neighborhoods safe. Smoke may be bad around the valley, so find something indoors to enjoy: our plethora of art exhibits and galleries offer up something beautiful. Hit the road with Smokey and the Bandit at Galaxy Theater. If you have an interest in the digital arts, the Wired Wednesday group meets tonight at Paradise Salon. On the agenda is a discussion of their upcoming short film competition and a recap of last week’s Jukebox International Film Festival.

WEDNESDAY:

UPDATE: Lightning strikes on Tuesday afternoon may have contributed to several fires burning in the region, including the I-80 fire near Vista Boulevard in Sparks, the Micro Fire in central Lyon County southeast of Stagecoach, the Lyons Fire, which is in Douglas County but seen as far away as Dayton and Yerington. That fire as of early Wednesday morning was reported to be around 500 acres. It is located northeast of Sunrise Pass in the Pine Nut Mountains.

UPDATE 7:15PM: All evacuations have been lifted in the Voltaire Canyon Fire, said Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon. Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center estimates the fire to be around 150 acres.
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UPDATE 6:29PM: Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon said conditions are looking better this evening, with the fire around 70 to 75 percent contained. There is not acreage estimate yet but it is likely around 100 acres and probably less than 200 acres, he said.
“Around 100 firefighters are on scene battling the blaze as well as two airplanes and two helicopters. We have released some resources now so they can go to other fires in the region.”
Evacuations remain in place for now in Voltaire Canyon and Carson Colony areas. The cause of the fire is believed to be a lightning strike.
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UPDATE 6 PM: Carson City Fire Department Chief Sean Slamon addresses Tuesday's fire in a video here. The main concern now is the winds and terrain which is making containment difficult.

UPDATE 5:30PM: The evacuation at Galaxy Theater off of Curry Street has been lifted, according to the Carson City Sheriff's Office.
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UPDATE 5:03PM: From Carson City Fire Department: Crews are staging to protect the homes and businesses west of Curry Street. For those outside of the immediate fire area, but nearby, you might consider what documents, medications, and valuables you would prioritize in an evacuation. There is currently 0 percent containment, winds are still erratic. Those evacuated from the Carson Colony are advised to go to the Carson Colony Gym.
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UPDATE 4:53PM: From the Carson City Fire Department: No structures have been lost and efforts are concentrated on strucutre protection north of Koontz and west of Curry. Additional resources are continuting to arrive and the fire is estmated to be approximately 100 acres.

Musical acts scheduled Saturday night for the Carl Howell Memorial Music Festival at Battle Born Harley Davidson were rained out on the outdoor stage by thunderstorms moving through the area.

The potential for heavy rain from developing thunderstorms in western Nevada including Carson City has prompted the National Weather Service in Reno to issue a flash flood watch through Sunday night.

Hello fellow anglers, is it hot enough for you? Recently it has felt like the line from that Mark Chesnutt country song, where he sings "It's Too Hot to Fish."

While Carson City has been spared thus far of severe thunderstorms, other parts of the region have not, experiencing rain, hail and gusty winds extending into Lyon, Churchill and Washoe counties and eastern Nevada Monday and Tuesday.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday signed a disaster declaration due to the Preacher Fire seven miles southeast of Gardnerville.

UPDATE: An updated version to this story can be found here.
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The Preacher Fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountains has swelled to more than 1,000 acres, according to Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center. Douglas County has initiated recommended evacauations of areas at the east end of Pine Nut Road including Fred’s Street, Sandoval, Taildragger, Bluebird, and Bar-J Roads as well as the Spirit Ranch Area including Blue Sage Road, Badger Lane, Robinson Road, and Lena Lane. In addition, the Washoe Tribal Police are evacuating the Bodie Flats area in the vicinity of Courtland Avenue.