Fire on Old Clear Creek Road contained; Highway 50 open

Update 2 p.m.: Fire crews have contained a fire that broke out this morning near Old Clear Creek Road near the top of Spooner Summit, and Highway 50 has reopened.
The fire was last reported to be about 1.5 acres in size, and there was one home in the area that was threatened. Light winds and cool temperatures helped firefighters get a handle on the blaze, with a helicopter dumping water to help out the hand crews on the ground.
The fire is about a mile from the top of Spooner Summit, along the upper portion of Old Clear Creek Road. This road has been cut off to vehicle traffic for several years, and in places has disintegrated into little more than a path. The area is used by many hikers and mountain bikers, and some people have been known to camp in the area.

Sgt. Jim Halsey, Douglas County Sheriff's Office submitted the following release:

On Thursday, 09/08/11, at approximately 11:10 am, firefighters of the East Fork Fire and Paramedics Districts, Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District, Carson City Fire Department, and US Forest Service responded to a possible wildland fire in the vicinity of US Hwy 50 and Old Clear Creek Road, at the north end of Douglas County.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a small fire burning on US Forest Service land, approximately a half mile from the roadway in the 3700 block of US Hwy 50. The fire had burned approximately one and a half acres.

The fire was quickly extinguished by fire personnel. A single power pole was discovered to be the only property loss as a result of the fire. There have been no reports of power outages as a result of the burned pole, and utility companies have been notified of the damage.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, however it is suspected a small blaze may have started and smoldered throughout the night and early morning hours as a result of the numerous lightning strikes that occurred throughout Douglas County the previous night.

East Fork Fire and Paramedics District Fire Chief Tod Carlini would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance: East Fork Fire and Paramedics Districts, Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District, Carson City Fire Department, US Forest Service, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Highway Patrol, and Douglas County Emergency Communications Center.