UPDATE: Washington Fire near Markleeville in Alpine County, Calif., grows to nearly 15,000 acres, zero percent containment. Go here for updated story.
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GARDNERVILLE, Nev. — UPDATE 3:30 p.m., Monday, June 22: A reverse 9-1-1 was issued Monday morning for all of Markleeville and the immediate surrounding area to prepare for potential evacuation in the event the lightning-caused Washington Fire made its way closer to town.
Markleeville is located approximately 20 miles south of Gardnerville.
Mandatory evacuations were not ordered as of 2:15 p.m. Monday. In the event of a mandatory evacuation, residents would be directed to the Woodfords Indian Colony Gymnasium.
Residents were advised to prioritize items to take, load the most important items in the car and be prepared to mobilize if the need arises.
The fire, which was first reported Friday night shortly after 7 p.m. near Silver Peak south of Markleeville, grew to 9,500 acres by Monday afternoon. It is burning in heavy timber on United States Forest Service land.
Crews have contained an estimated 10 percent of the perimeter of the fire. The fire has remained very active, though, and officials expressed concerns that it could make a run for Markleeville if the winds pick back up.
Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch officials said the tactical priority Monday afternoon is to prevent the fire from spreading further northwest toward Markleeville.
The forecast for gusty winds, combined with a low relative humidity of 4 to 5 percent will continue through Monday. The winds should subside after Monday, but high temperatures (up to 98 degrees) and the possibility of thunderstorms later in the week could affect fire behavior as well.
Thermal mapping indicated the fire had burned east along Highway 89 past Heenan Lake and north approximately 2-3 miles outside of Markleeville as of 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. The eastern perimeter of the fire sits approximately six miles away from the shores of Topaz Lake. Sierra Front officials are hoping to compile a more accurate map after an infrared flight this afternoon.
The fire transitioned to a Type II incident management team (Great Basin Team 4-Wilcox) Monday morning and the focus will be on air attack early in the day while conditions are optimal.
A Type II team (there are generally five types, ranging from village/township to national/state level) is ordered for smaller scale national or state emergency management incidents and includes interagency cooperation from federal, state and local first-responders.
Air quality in some southern portions of Douglas County dipped into the unhealthy range early Monday morning, according to the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. As of 12 p.m. Monday, the AQI index at the sensor located at Ranchos Aspen Park was logging air quality as “moderate.”
According to the National Weather Service, the southwest to west winds will take the smoke back into western Nevada with the densest smoke in the Smith and Mason Valleys Monday afternoon. Visibility may drop below 1 mile and it is advised to avoid any strenuous outdoor activities, and if you have smoke sensitivities to stay indoors.
Smoke will spread farther east into Fallon and Hawthorne as well, but will not be very dense. For Tuesday, winds will be light, becoming northeast by the late afternoon, taking the smoke west into California. Winds are forecast to remain easterly Wednesday and Thursday as well, though there may be brief periods where westerly afternoon winds will kick in and bring some smoke to the east. Subtle changes in fire activity and wind direction can drastically change the smoke forecast.
For updates go to Carson Valley Times here.