Bison Fire Wednesday morning update: 78 homes voluntarily evacuated

Voluntary evacuations of a Smith Valley subdivision are underway as firefighters held flames along a ridge above to stop them from spreading into homes, the Bureau of Land Management reports this morning. Firefighters overnight were able to reinforce the line, with the day shift continuing its efforts today.

Incident Command Team has requested the voluntary evacuation be extended until after the afternoon burning period to make sure the line is going to hold during the afternoon wind event that is expected, said Lisa Ross, spokeswoman for the BLM. Lyon County sheriff’s deputies went door to door asking residences to leave the Smith Valley subdivision, she said. The fire threatens 98 structures.

Questions about evacuations should be directed to Lyon County Sheriff’s Dispatch at (775) 463-6620.

The fire is now 40 percent contained with a full containment target date of July 14. The fire has grown to 25,733 acre as of Wednesday morning. Resources Wednesday include: 9 airtankers 13 helicopters; 33 engines; 35 crews; 8 water tenders and 4 dozers. There are 1,065 firefighters assigned to the Bison Fire.

A spike camp was set up in Smith Valley and approximately 400 fire fighters will be working out of this camp on the east side of the fire.

More resources arrived today bringing the number of personnel assigned to the incident to 1065. There has been one firefighter injury (twisted knee) reported.

The cost, to date, of fighting this fire is $4,814,994. The biggest part of the cost is the use of the aircraft.

East Fork Fire Protection and Paramedic District, Fire Chief Todd Carlini reports that the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners has declared a State of Emergency for the Bison Fire. This allows the County to request additional State resources and assistance, as well as federal assistance, should the Governor deem a State of Emergency for the State of Nevada.

The following road closures to non-residents are currently in place for:

* Pine Nut Road at the intersection of Out-R-Way

*East Valley Road at Grandview

*Sunrise Pass Road at Coyote Rock

*Brunswick Canyon Road

*Mexican Dam Road

*Sunrise Pass Road at Artesia Road

The public is ordered to keep out of the area. Fire information will continue to be updated at www.sierrafront.net, www.inciweb.org, and on the Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators and Douglas County’s pages on Facebook.

Click through the photos above courtesy of Jack Freer of Carson Valley. Go here for his website.

1. The small area of grass at the fairgrounds was full of tents for the firefighters. Several firefighters were sleeping in the shade where they could find it. In this photo two firefighters were sleeping on the grass on their backs. One had their uniform pants on and barefoot the other was in shorts. The one in shorts had just got up when I took the photo. Behind them is the flagpole with the American and Nevada State flags being whipped in strong winds which were also accelerating the fire in the mountains far behind. (3:19 p.m.)

2. The Incident Command Post had taken on a more formal and militarized appearance over the past two days. The fairgrounds was quickly filling up with personnel, vehicles and equipment of all types and sizes. Security was highly controlled and a main security check point had been established at the road leading in to the fairgrounds. In this photo an unnamed US Forestry firefighter arrived a few hours earlier from Virginia and is assigned to security at the main gate. (3:07 p.m.)

3. Photo of the Flathead Hotshots truck with the fire burning in the background. Flathead Hotshots are stationed in the small town of Hungry Horse in northwest Montana, 1,085 miles from Gardnerville, Nevada. (3:22 p.m.)

4. Photo of a Syracuse, Utah, Fire Department truck with the Bison fire burning in the background. Syracuse, Utah is 600 miles from Gardnerville, Nevada. (3:23 p.m.)

5. Photo of a Expeditors Fire Support Services bus parked next to the small grass area at the fairgrounds which is now completely full of tents for fire personnel. (3:17 p.m.)

6. Photo of the grass area with all the tents for fire personnel. (3:17 p.m.)

7. Photo of Engine 441 with the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center with tents for firefighters in the background. The only grass area inside the fairgrounds was full of tents so personnel arriving now have to set tents up in the sagebrush area around the incident command post. (3:14 p.m.)

8. Outside the secure area of the incident command post and within sight of the main security gate, a company called "The Tshirt Guy.com" was working out of a trailer to produce silk screen t shirts and sweatshirts for fire personnel that had been assigned to the Bison fire. The fire personnel were able to purchase a shirt or sweatshirt with their own money. In this photo three firefighters had just walked out of the command post to the temporary shirt shop and were making their individual purchases. Sean was working the shirt sales at the time. The business is based out of 2201 Francisco Drive, Suite 140, Eldorado Hills, CA, 916-548-3838. Sean said that he would be working the Bison fire for one more day and then moving on to another fire, possibly the one in the Las Vegas area. He said that they will go to a fire for shirt sales once the assigned crew reaches 500 or more. Sean believes he had sold between 100 and 200 shirts at the Bison Fire. http://www.thetshirtguy.com/gallery_wildfires.htm (3:28 p.m.)

9. A close-up photo of the Bison commemorative shirt. "Bison 2013 Wild Fire, Carson City District Nevada" (3:30 p.m.)