Ward Fire daily update

Aug, 3

The Ward Fire, burning on Ward Mountain roughly 9 miles south of Ely, Nevada, is now estimated at 8,200 acres with 0 percent containment.

Firefighters made good progress yesterday as established containment lines held despite strong winds a.m. today, all zones listed below have been placed in a Level 1 – READY status.

Aug. 2
The Ward Fire has grown to approximately 3,770 acres and is 0 percent contained. Firefighters worked through the night to take advantage of cooler temperatures and lower relative humidity to advance containment efforts. Burnout operations along the east side went well and are holding.

Today’s focus will be on establishing and reinforcing the anchor point on the east side of the fire. Ground resources are working to construct dozer lines and implement handlines where safety conditions allow. These efforts are designed to bolster containment and provide a strong foothold for further suppression activities. Aviation resources, including helicopters equipped for bucket operations, are actively supporting ground crews by delivering targeted water drops to reduce fire intensity and assist with suppression activities. This integrated approach ensures firefighter safety and maximizes opportunities to strengthen direct containment lines.

Additional resources are being sent to help fight the Ward Fire, and the number of personnel assigned has risen to 193. With several major fires burning throughout the west, available resources remain limited.
Current resources include: Engines – 17, hand crews – 2, water tenders – 4, helicopters/air resources – 11, dozers – 5, Local-Type 3 Incident Management Team – 1.

Aug. 1
The Ward Fire, burning on Ward Mountain roughly 9 miles south of Ely, Nevada, is now estimated at 1,800 acres with 0 percent containment. The fire, first reported Friday morning, is burning in sagebrush, pinyon juniper, and mixed conifer fuels and is being managed under full suppression.

Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Wildland Fire Service, Nevada Division of Forestry, Ely Volunteer Fire Department and multiple contract resources made meaningful progress overnight, successfully holding portions of the fire along the lower eastern flank of Ward Mountain. However, extremely steep, rugged terrain continues to limit safe access for ground crews. Until a secure entry point can be established, firefighters are relying heavily on aircraft to slow the fire’s spread by building retardant lines and supporting future containment operations.

Additional resources arrived overnight, increasing the total number of personnel assigned to the incident to more than 150 firefighters.

The incident is currently supported by engines (6), dozers (4), hand crews including two Interagency Hotshot Crews (4), water tenders (2), task force (1), helicopters including one Nevada National Guard helicopter (5), and a local Type 3 Incident Management Team has been stood up to oversee operations.

No structures are currently threatened, and there are currently no evacuation orders in place. The White Pine County Sherriff’s Office will be the point of contact for evacuations, should the need arise.

Public and firefighter safety remains the highest priority on the Incident.  No cause has been determined at this time. It remains under investigation.

Updates will be available on the Humboldt Toiyabe Facebook page at: facebook.com/HumboldtToiyabeNF and Inciweb at: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nvhtf-ward-fire

About the Forest Service
The Forest Service has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation for more than 100 years. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and recreation opportunities. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, supports the nation’s forest industry and energy needs, and operates the largest and most respected wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. By providing assistance to state and private landowners and working with tribes and other partners, the Forest Service also helps steward an additional 900 million forested acres within the U.S.