RENO - Firefighters west of Reno are getting a break from the weather as light winds, slightly higher humidity and a lack of new lightning strikes helped them gain ground on a 1,094-acre complex of wildfires.
The two larger fires still burning were 75 percent surrounded on Friday night with full containment expected by Saturday evening around 6 p.m.
Forest Service spokeswoman Christie Kalkowski said people living in Reno will see minimal smoke as crews continue to mop up. She said 486 workers were fighting the fire including 15 crews, 13 engines, one dozer and one water tender.
The complex of four fires were sparked by lightning on Wednesday. One initially threatened a subdivision north of the town of Verdi, 10 miles west of Reno.
Equipment and firefighters from throughout western Nevada responded quickly, stopping the growth of that blaze. There were no evacuations.
Helicopters were busy Wednesday and Thursday, drenching hot spots with swimming pool-sized drops from water buckets. By Friday, most of the battle was on the ground.
Kalkowski said firefighters made significant progress on the fire Thursday, holding the fire lines on the northern boundaries despite gusty winds early in the day.
Seventy miles south of Reno, the Cole complex of fires near Coleville, Calif., was declared contained on Thursday with control expected by Wednesday. That 2,833-acre complex consisted of one fire sparked by lightning on Friday and a second that began on Monday when embers from a cooking fire blew into brush.
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