JEAN, Nev. (AP) — A brief but heavy downpour Tuesday helped firefighters battling a massive blaze in California and Nevada, but meteorologists warned of the potential for sudden and erratic wind shifts that could endanger crews later on.
The York Fire was partially contained by Tuesday morning after igniting last week in the Mojave National Preserve in California and spreading into Nevada, while flames scorched tens of thousands of acres of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland.
Now the largest wildfire of the season in California, the blaze was mapped at roughly 125 square miles on Tuesday, with 23% containment.
While the 15-minute downpour early Tuesday helped firefighting efforts, thunderstorms could pose problems if they pass over the area, said Clay Morgan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Las Vegas.
If the storms miss the flames entirely, crews could face unstable wind conditions — with gusts up to 40 mph— and risk having the fire blown back at them, Morgan said.
The blaze erupted on Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the vast wildland preserve, crossed the state line into Nevada on Sunday and sent smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley. The York Fire started on private land within the preserve, according to authorities, and remains under investigation.