Marcella Corona, Sarah Litz

RGJ

Sparks firefighters are searching for three boys who were seen on the hillside near the “S” where the 2,554-acre fire erupted Wednesday in east Sparks.

The “S” Fire was reported at 1:54 p.m. Wednesday on a hillside at the “S” near Vista Boulevard and Loop Road. By noon Thursday, crews fully contained the fire and were mopping up the scene, said Division Chief Jim Reid, of the Sparks Fire Department.

No structures were threatened, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, but firefighters were searching for the three boys who were last seen in the area each carrying backpacks just before the fire erupted.

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The boys were spotted behind the Northern Nevada Medical Center, near Vista Boulevard and Prater Way, witnesses told firefighters.

They were described as being between the ages 12 to 15 years old, authorities said in a news release Thursday. One boy was described as Caucasian, 5 feet 9 inches tall with blond hair. The other two boys were described as having a darker complexion and about 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall.

The boys were seen in the area between 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said. They were then seen being picked up from Pagni Ranch Park in an older silver-colored Mercedes SUV and heading toward Primio Way.

Meanwhile, crews were expected to remain on scene until 8 p.m. Thursday and return Friday morning to mop up and make sure no new spot fires sparked in the area, Reid said.

“As the day gets hotter and the winds come up, there’s going to be smoke,” he said early Thursday evening. “That’s why we were there today and will be there tomorrow.

The fire scorched the grass hills as the flames spread away from Sparks into federal lands. The fire was about 2 miles northwest of Interstate 80.

“With daylight we were able to assess how many acres were burned,” Mayberry said.

“Sparks firefighters kept the fire away from our neighborhoods and the city, and for that we are very thankful to our firefighters,” he said.

Fighting the blaze was a challenge on Wednesday. The fire was uncontained for most of the afternoon despite a crew of 96 personnel descending on the blaze from seven agencies – Reno Fire Department, Sparks Fire Department, the Bureau of Land Management, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, the U.S. Forest Service, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Department and the Carson City Fire Department.

“It’s grass and brush. Perfect fuel for a fire,” Mayberry said, reiterating the challenging conditions as the fire turned northward Wednesday evening. The flames had been spreading eastward most of the day.

The change in direction caused the fire to spread to more remote areas, moving away from Interstate 80 a few miles to the south.

"The farther the fire is from the city, the harder it is to get there," said Sparks interim Fire Chief Chris Maples on Wednesday.

The Northern Nevada Medical Center and businesses in east Sparks remained open on Wednesday.

"The safety of our patients is our first priority, and we have been reassured by Sparks Fire Department that they are confident our building is safe," Don Butterfield, spokesman for the Northern Nevada Medical Center, said in a statement Wednesday. "We remain open to patients. We will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with the fire department and take any appropriate measures as needed."

The hospital is on Prater Way at the eastern edge of town.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Fire Marshal Bob King of the Sparks Fire Department at 775-353-2261.

Check with RGJ for more updates as they become available.

Here's what social media is saying about the blaze:

Check with RGJ for more updates as they become available.

Marcella Corona covers breaking news for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Contact her at 775-788-6340, email her at mcorona@rgj.com or follow her on Twitter at @Marcella_Anahi or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Marcella.Anahi