JULY 25 UPDATE: Portions of the Late Night Trail, 3 Mile Smile Loop and the Dead Horse Loop have been impacted by the fire, but still remain intact. Resource advisors from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Bureau of Land Management would like to remind recreationists to remain on designated trails and parking areas to reduce soil erosion. Today crews will continue working in the southwest corner of the fire.
The fire, which has burned 2,817 acres, is 97% contained.
JULY 24 UPDATE: Firefighters have made excellent progress on the Cottonwood fire. It's burning in the southwest of the valley and now is 93% contained.
7:33 A.M. UPDATE JULY 23: As of Tuesday night, authorities report the Cottonwood Fire is 30% contained and 2,834 acres. READ MORE
8:41 A.M. UPDATE JULY 22: Crews now report the Cottonwood Fire has grown to 2,834 acres and remains 5% contained. READ MORE
6:21 A.M. UPDATE JULY 22: As of Tuesday night, authorities report the Cottonwood Fire is 5% contained and 2,741 acres. READ MORE
9:20 A.M. UPDATE JULY 21: A Temporary Flight Restriction or TFR has been put into place for McCarran International Airport because of the Cottonwood Fire.
#Vegas @LASairport https://t.co/8MWKy3mHgW
— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) July 21, 2020
The Cottonwood Fire activity moderated overnight with very little growth, now 1,833 acres and 0% contained. Three additional handcrews will be arriving today, along with four engines and a water tender. These resources will help develop and improve containment lines. Air operations will also be back in place today, with three additional helicopters expected to arrive and help cool areas of the fire with water bucket drops.
Yesterday, the fire was driven by critically dry fuels, winds and topography, making suppression efforts difficult for firefighters and periodically causing extreme fire behavior. The fire burned to the base of Potosi Mountain, but has not moved up the slope of mountain. Because of the communications site located on top of Potosi, point protection was performed by aircraft as a precaution. Point protection is a wildfire response strategy which protects highly valued resources from the wildfire without directly halting the continued spread.
A Temporary Flight Restriction, or TFR, has been issued over the fire which has affected the approach and departure route for the McCarren International Airport in Las Vegas. TFRs are issued to provide safety for firefighters both in the air and on the ground. Cottonwood Fire management is working closely with the FAA to coordinate these efforts.
Weather conditions can greatly affect fire behavior so they are closely monitored by fire managers and firefighters. Today, a Red Flag Warning remains in effect over the fire area for dry thunderstorms, accompanied by gusty outflow winds and low humidity levels.
Neither Highway 160 nor any communities are currently threatened by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation, though lighting has recently been in the area. A Type 3 Interagency Incident Management Team was originally ordered but due to availability a Type 2 Incident Management Team has now been ordered and will be taking over the fire in the next couple of days.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV)-- This morning, firefighters continue to battle the Cottonwood Fire.
It has burned 1,800 acres near Goodsprings -- it's a remote area in the southwest part of the valley.
Right now, there is 0% containment.
So far, no structures are threatened. Crews believe the fire was started by lightning.
RELATED: Red Flag Warning: Weather conditions pose elevated fire danger in the Las Vegas area
