Campers burning poop in a hole started Voltaire Fire; voluntary evacuations lifted

Sam Gross | Reno Gazette-Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Voltaire Fire spreads in Carson City A timelapse view of the Voltaire Fire in its fourth hour as it spreads in a canyon above Carson City.

Update, 8:45 a.m., Thursday:

Firefighters from the Sierra Front Incident Management Team held the Voltaire Fire in Carson City at bay last night, according to Erin Holland of the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest.

There is no update on containment yet this morning, but Holland said the 504-acre footprint of the fire did not change overnight.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, voluntary evacuation orders for residents in Voltaire Canyon and the Carson Colony were lifted. Though, Holland said people should still avoid the narrow Voltaire Canyon Road, where heavy firefighting equipment remains.

The fire is burning into greener fuel at higher elevations, which is slowing the blaze down.

"If it was a month later, it might be a different story," she said.

Holland said an update on the fire's containment can be expected this afternoon.

Crews will continue to "aggressively" work on the fire's containment through the day.

Update, 2:10 p.m.:

Marnie Bonesteel, public information officer for the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest, said firefighters have increased their containment of the 504-acre Voltaire Fire in Carson City to 30 percent as of Wednesday afternoon.

Voluntary evacuations for Voltaire Canyon residents and the Carson Colony remain in place, but will be reevaluated this afternoon, she said.

Firefighters are asking people to stay away from Voltaire Canyon road, a narrow access point that is currently full of firefighting equipment.

Update, 11:45 a.m.:

As of 6 a.m., the Voltaire Fire in Carson City was pegged at 500 acres and 15 percent contained, according to the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest.

#VoltaireFire Reaches 500 Acres with 15% Containment

As of 6:00 a.m., the fire was estimated at 500 acres and 15 percent contained, it is burning in sagebrush and grass vegetation and within portions of a previously burned area.

More…https://t.co/sE1ppHLCcU pic.twitter.com/CjdkkbT2Mj — Humboldt Toiyabe NF (@HumboldtToiyabe) June 13, 2018

The fire is very visible to residents and passersby on South Carson Street, but the public is urged to stay out of the area.

Voluntary evacuations remain in effect for the Carson Colony and Voltaire Canyon.

Update, 8:20 a.m.:

Firefighters waged a hard-fought battle against the Voltaire Fire Tuesday night, according to Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon.

With the fire starting late in the evening — roughly 7:30 p.m. — firefighters were left without air support, Slamon said, which presented crews with a more difficult than normal fight through the night.

"We had pretty active fire last night, which is unusual for this time of year,' Slamon said. "It was all ground firefighting, so that was a big challenge initially."

#VoltaireFire west Carson City, NV. Estimated 500 acres, 15% contained. Resources on scene, USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the managing agency. Sierra Front Incident Management team ordered, taking over fire this evening. — Humboldt Toiyabe NF (@HumboldtToiyabe) June 13, 2018

Agencies are reporting a range of figures for the fire's size Tuesday morning, from 500 acres to 800 acres, but Slamon said they will have a better handle on the fire's actual size when aircraft get off the ground this morning.

Helicopters and fixed-wing air tankers are expected to be in the air within the hour, he added.

Slamon said the fire is laying down this morning as temperatures remain cool, but firefighters are scrambling to build fire lines around its perimeter before temperatures spike and winds pick up this afternoon.

The National Weather Service expects temperatures to reach the upper 90's this afternoon, the "peak heat" for warmer-than-average week.

Combined with expected 25-35 mph gusts, the weather service says the dry, hot and windy conditions create the likelihood of "critical fire conditions" over the next few days.

A handful of voluntary evacuation orders remain in effect today for residents of Voltaire Canyon and those living in the Carson Colony off South Curry Drive.

Those structures are currently not under direct threat from the flames, but Slamon said crews are watching the fire's progress closely.

"There is a potential that if we get some increased winds it could threaten those structures; we want to be prepared for that and get those (voluntary evacuation) notifications out," he said.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said the fire is burning very low this morning, despite the challenges firefighters faced through the night.

"It seems to me they did a hell of a job," he said.

Original Story:

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said two campers burning poop in a hole at their campsite started the now 800-acre Voltaire Fire in a canyon above Nevada's capital.

The fire is roughly 5 percent contained, according to a tweet from the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest at 11:30 p.m. last night.

As of 11:30 p.m., the #VoltaireFire is 100 acres & 5 % contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Started on the #CarsonRD in Voltaire Canyon above the Fandango Casino in Carson City, NV. Forest Service & Carson City Fire Department are in unified command. — Humboldt Toiyabe NF (@HumboldtToiyabe) June 13, 2018

The fire, currently burning just west of the Casino Fandango, has prompted voluntary evacuations for homes in Voltaire Canyon.

"We really don't believe that there is significant fuel to get to those houses," Furlong said. "But that's a challenge right now because it's night time and it's become pretty large."

As the crow flies, Furlong estimated the fire is roughly three-quarters of a mile from the Casino Fandango last night.

Fire near Voltaire Canyon west of Carson City is confirmed and tracked on #MclellanPeak @nvfirecams. See: https://t.co/rf0onS0ka3 — Nevada Fire Cameras (@nvfirecams) June 13, 2018

The fire is heading towards the burn zone of a fire that burned the same area last year, which was also called the Voltaire Canyon Fire.

The two campers, according to Furlong, have been detained by Carson City Sheriff's deputies.