GARDNERVILLE, NV - Firefighters are making progress against the biggest of several brush fires started by lightning strikes Friday.
The Preacher fire is 95% contained as of Tuesday morning, a downgrade from an earlier report of 99%, and stands at roughly 1,070 acres. Mop-up has begin, with several fire crews released.
Calls went out about 2:30 Friday afternoon in the Ray May Way area of Douglas County, where there was a large brush fire last year. The Preacher fire was accompanied by the nearby Ray May 2 fire, which burned 43 acres, and the Buffalo fire, at half an acre. Both are now contained.
35-40 homes are in the area of the Preacher fire, but were not immediately threatened, though voluntary evacuations were recommended for those residents.
