Mt Charleston wildfire

20,000 acres burned so far. The winds are making this very unpredictable. Lets hope we don't have another AZ disaster.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/22798512/firefighters-lose-some-ground-on-mt-charleston-wildfire

We've been to Mt Charleston probably more than a dozen times and the way some of those homes are situated on the side of the mountain, this could get really ugly.

 

Always wanted to visit up there but never got around to it yet. I can't find the article anymore, but I swear I read that they expect it to be contained by July 19th. We can only hope.

 

Most up to date info on Carpetner 1 Fire and Pics...

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3481/

The link above provides really good timely updates on the fire. I was at first having a hard time finding updates from local news here but the link has been most helpful. I have been seeing the smoke every day since it started on July 1st. The has been ashes on cars parked at my complex. My friends house near the airport can sometimes see the flames at night.

Here are a few pics. One is from the Las Vegas TPC I captured and the other is driving home from the strip near the LVH.

Lets hope they put it out soon. Hoping for some rain tomorrow.

Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin Monday July 01st, 2013 approx. 12:00 PM
Location Fire location is one mile from Kyle Canyon
Incident Commander Rich Harvey
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,264
Size 25,524 acres
Percent Contained 15%
Fuels Involved
Pinyon Juniper
Fire Behavior
Running fire behavior with short crown runs. Group tree torching and spotting.
Significant Events
The Great Basin Incident Management Team #2 assumed command of the Carpenter 1 Fire at 0600 on Sunday, July 7.
Outlook
Planned Actions
Crews continue to do structure protection. Assess possible containment strategies.
Growth Potential
High
Terrain Difficulty
Extreme
Remarks
PROJECTED FIRE MOVEMENT: North into Kyle and Lee Canyons, southwest toward Trout Creek and east to Lovell Canyon and Harris Springs Canyon. During the next 24 hours, it may hook north into the lower end of Kyle Canyon.

 

I was hiking on Mt Charleston around the time it began - on July 2nd I was hiking and smelled smoke but didn't think anything of it. About 5:30pm I was coming down the mountain when I saw the smoke wafting over one of the peaks and immediately knew it was a wildfire. I snapped photos of that beginning stage. I had no idea it would become as bad as it is.

Mt Charleston is one of my favorite spots and I was looking forward to doing a few more hikes and taking in the scenery while I was in town - I just hope that all the businesses and homes are safe.

Yesterday I drove up to Pahrump and through Red Rock Canyon and the sky looked like Armageddon - the mountain where the wildfire is raging looked like a volcano erupting.

 

Cool pictures. Looks like a major fire, though I haven't seen any national coverage. Hope it stays on the other side of the Valley.

Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks for the info. Can anyone comment on the current air quality on the strip in regard to the fire?