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Firefighters get handle on Topaz, two other fires, Highway 395 reopens

UPDATE 955PM: From Douglas County: The Topaz Fire is in mop up status at the present time. The fire burned 8 acres within the Topaz Subdivision just south of the Topaz Lodge in Southern Douglas County.
Highway 395 was closed during initial fire attack operations. The highway is now open but motorist are urged to proceed with caution through the area. One out building was damaged in the fire and no structures were lost. Approximately 30 to 40 homes were threatened at one time. Volunteer evacuations are still in place.
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UPDATE 7:08 PM: From Douglas County: Firefighters are now mopping up area of the Topaz Fire and will continue to remain on scene through the duration of the night. Highway 395 has been reopened in both directions.
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UPDATE 6:21PM: Highway 395 has been opened in both directions, according to NHP. Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center has recast the size of the Payne Fire to 90 acres, the Ray May Fire, 3.68 acres. The Topaz Fire remains at 20 acres.
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UPDATE: 5:35PM: From Douglas County: Structure protection and aggressive fire attack is underway at the Topaz Fire. A voluntary evacuation was ordered and managed by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for the areas of Mark Twain, Comstock, Aurora Masonic and Goldfield in the Topaz area.. 20 acres burned, one structure was lost but unknown if it was a home or out building. Several propane tanks in the area have been threatened.
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UPDATE 5:19PM: The latest from Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center is the Topaz Fire has burned 20 acres, the Payne Fire 65 acres and the Ray May Fire, 5 acres. Carson Valley Times reports at least one structure was destroyed in Topaz. Firefighters at Topaz report progress is being made on the fire and have been able to stop it moving forward.
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UPDATE 4:28PM: From Nevada Highway Patrol: Road Closure: Southbound US395 closed at SR208, Holbrook Junction due to Wild Fire at Topaz Lake. CHP has Highway 395 closed, northbound south of Topaz.
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UPDATE: A fast moving wildfire is forcing voluntary evacuations Tuesday afternoon of homes in the Topaz Lake area in south Douglas County, according to dispatchers. Also, firefighters were working on two separate fires, one in Alpine County and the other also in Douglas County.
There has been an unconfirmed report of at least one home that has burned in the fire at Topaz.

The Nevada Division of Emergency Management said crews are responding wildfires, one a mile east of Highway 88 and another at Ray May Way and Highway 395. The Payne Fire, located a mile east of Highway 88 in the southwest part of the Valley is burning at 45 acres as of 4:29 p.m. It was reported after 2 p.m. A five-acre fire near Ray May Way was reported at 2:28 p.m., but crews are mopping it up.

Multiple fire agencies from around the region have been called to the fires. As well as support staff from the Douglas County, Carson, Lyon and Mono County fire, search and rescue and sheriff's offices.

Highway 395 has been closed from Holbrook Junction, the junction of State Route 208 and near the California state line.

Also a 3.7 magnitude earthquake was reported Tuesday afternoon south of Gardnerville in the Double Springs Flat area, according the the Nevada Seismological Laboratory.

For updates, see Carson Valley Times here.

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A gang fight at an apartment complex last month resulted in the arrest of 14 juveniles and adults, according to the Carson City Sheriff's Office.

Carson City Sheriff's Office Uniformed Reserves and Partnership Carson City collected approximately 410 pounds of prescription drugs in the Prescription Drug Take Back held last month in Carson City.

Mark Twain Days Festival returns this Friday through Sunday, May 10-12, with a bevy of events lined up for the second year of the festival, which is held in honor of Mark Twain, our region’s most famous writer.

Meet others from the community for conversation and real connection.

CONNECTIONS social gatherings bring locals together every week for story sharing, conversation and inspiration.

Join us every Tuesday for Café CONNECTIONS at Comma Coffee, 312 S Carson Street, Carson City.

Check out the free Senior Health Fair from 8 am to 12 noon this Thursday, May 9 at Casino Fandango Grand Ballroom in Carson City.

More than 70 vendors, a record number, will share valuable information about their programs and services. Participate in raffle drawings, interact with service dogs, donate blood, and have quick access to important vaccines. Pick up our fifth edition of the Senior Celebration magazine and a Community Resource Guide.

Partnership Carson City has launched “Rediscovering Your Mental Health Series,” a five-week program aimed at promoting mental wellness during Mental Health Awareness Month this May. Each week, participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques to enhance their mental well-being and foster a healthy community.

The Battle Born Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution is a women's volunteer service organization, promoting Patriotism, Education, and Historic Preservation.

Photo courtesy of David and Gayle Woodruff

Carson City Historical Society hosts local authors and historians David and Gayle Woodruff, who will present a Chautauqua on "Snowshoe Thompson: Superhero of the Sierra" from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11 in the Carriage House behind the Foreman-Roberts Historic House located at 1207 Carson Street, Carson City, during Mark Twain Days.

Join us at the Territorial Enterprise Mark Twain Museum located at 53 South C Street for an event filled with fun and excitement for the three days of "Mark Twain Days" in Virginia City, Nevada.

On the morning of Saturday, May 11, volunteers will fan out across the Truckee River watershed to collect and test water samples from creeks, streams, smaller lakes, and Lake Tahoe itself to take a “snapshot” of water quality at a single moment in time for this important source of drinking water and outdoor recreation.

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting May 20 that will include the final adoption of the County Budget Fiscal Year 2024-25.

A 44-year-old man was arrested Saturday for suspicion of unlawful occupancy of real property and violation of a suspended sentence, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report. The man was occupying the home of a deceased person without permission.

The Nevada Artists Association Art Gallery in Carson City presents the "Just the Right Size" show with 130 entries by 31 local Nevada artists.

UPDATE 3:11 PM: The fire in the 1400 block of Monte Rosa Drive was contained to the garage and was knocked down quickly, according to CCFD Battalion Chief Jon Pedrini. The fire did not extend to the main structure. No one was home and there were no injuries. The cause is under investigation.
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UPDATE 12:37PM: Carson City firefighters knocked down the fire and are beginning to clear the scene.
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Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called late Monday morning to a structure fire in the 1400 block of Monte Rosa Drive.

For years, advocates have called upon presidential administrations to reclassify marijuana or deschedule it entirely from the DEA’s list of controlled substances.

UPDATE: The roadways have reopened.
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Firefighters in Yerington and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office are on scene Monday morning of a semi truck rollover on Aiazzi Lane and Miller Road in Yerington. The entire area is closed to all traffic.

It's time again for the biggest one-day food drive in the country, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive happening Saturday, May 11. This event is vital for helping food banks to provide food during the summer months.

Polka Dot Powerhouse, Carson City Chapter, invites you to be a guest at our May monthly business luncheon. Come meet Carson City's most dynamic, positive, action forward women to connect for business and friendship. Join us for collaboration, celebration, and fun! Special raffle prizes for all guests.

We’re back, bigger and better than ever! Please welcome the second annual Mark Twain Days, May 10-12. For a listing of events take a gander at the website here.

You will find something of interest or my name’s not Mark Twain, or used to be anyways. And this year Virginia City is joining in on the fun along with Carson City. Wow!

Nevada Division of Forestry state nursery is open for business beginning Thursday, May 9. When we first bought our home in 1988 with its 2.5 acres, there were some poplars, pines, blue spruce, willows, and grass, but little else. I soon discovered the state nursery and filled the yard with flowering shrubs and other plants. I added lilacs, sand cherries, golden and Nevada currants, sumacs, Apache plumes, and incense cedars.

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office arrested a Dayton man Saturday for possession of child pornography. During the investigation, officers also learned the man was a local little league coach.

Mrs. Carson City America, Kassandra Tapia, is set to grace the stage of the Mrs. Nevada America Pageant, scheduled to take place on June 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. She is proudly representing the Capital City, and she aims to not only showcase her poise and grace but also advocate for her powerful platform, Cycle Breakers.

Nevada Author, Sandie La Nae will be selling her Carson City and Virginia City books the three days of the Mark Twain Days, May 10, 11, and 12.

As part of Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday celebration, the Smokey Reading Challenge is underway. Launched this morning at the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records in Carson City, the program is designed to engage children across Nevada in an exciting reading journey to learn about wildfire prevention, forests, and careers in natural resources with Smokey Bear.

The Nevada Jeep Club held their first Washoe Valley Cleanup on Saturday, May 4 and collected more than 450 pounds of trash along Highway 395.

The Carson City Leisure Hour Club members continue celebrating the organization’s 127th year with a presentation on the upcoming Jazz and Beyond festival.

At the club’s dinner meeting on Thursday, May 16, Cherie Shipley, a member of the event planning committee, will talk about the annual Jazz and Beyond festival, how it formed, and the impact it has had on the community. Jazz and Beyond is scheduled for August 16 to August 25, 2024.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of May 6-12, 2024. Closures are expected at the following locations due to road and utility work:

Organized by Carol Park, the Elks held an open to the public, two-day indoor garage sale at the lodge in March as a fundraiser for Holiday with a Hero. Lodge members donated all items sold and assisted at the event which received excellent support from the community.

An 18-year-old Carson City man was arrested at a local diner after allegedly stealing a car from a used car lot two days prior to test drive it.

Friday May 10 at 7:30PM, Valhalla Tahoe kicks off their season with a living history presentation, “The Reno Cure,” at the Boathouse Theater. Reno has long been known as “The Biggest Little City.”