The Strawberry Fire, 3 miles North West of Great Basin National Park Visitor Center, 5 miles West of Baker Nevada. (photo by Seth Trodahl, Supervisory Range Technician (Fire) at the Ely BLM ).The Strawberry fire started this August 8, 2016 (photo credit Eastern Nevada Interagency Fire).
New Update on The Park 8/21/16:
The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, Bristlecone and Glacier Trails, Alpine Lakes Loop Trail and the trail to Wheeler Peak will open at 6:00am daily and close at dusk each evening.
Weakened trees, loose and rolling material, undetected stump holes, and still-burning material from the recent fire activity can be pose a threat to public safety . The Wheeler Peak Campground, Osceola Trail, the Strawberry Creek Road at the park boundary, and burned areas of Strawberry Canyon are closed until further notice. Park staff will continue to assess conditions and will reopen these areas when it is safe to do so.
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8/17/16
The Strawberry fire, started on August 8, as a small 15 acres fire, is currently covering 4,657 acres. Strong winds quickly caused rapid fire growth.
Now, August 17th, this fire as a 90% containment.
There are currently 360 personnel on this incident, including the following resources: 11 Crews, 1 Type 1 (Heavy) Helicopter, 2 Type 2 (Medium) Helicopters, 2 Type 3 (Light) Helicopters, 5 Engines, and 2 Dozers.
Last week, the BLM, Ely district has responded with two pumpers with crews and an helicopter. For now, four engines, two crews and an helicopter are working the fire as conditions allow. The major concerns are the heavy smoke and the unfavorable winds. The crews are expected to work until the fire is fully contained.
Wheeler Peak Campground is closed, and the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is closed above the Upper Lehman Creek Campground. The trail from Upper Lehman Creek Campground to Wheeler Peak Campground is also closed. The Park is asking campers and hikers to respect all closures for their own safety. The launching, landing, or operation of unmanned aircraft is prohibited because it impacts the ability of the firefighters to do their job safely and effectively.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, Andler said.
Cause of the fire is believed to be lightning.
This report was updated by Nichole Andler from the Great Basin National Park and
Chris Hanefeld, the Public Affairs Specialist from the Ely BLM Field Office.
