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RENO, Nev. (AP) — More than 1,500 firefighters continue to battle a half-dozen large wildfires in northern Nevada, including one that forced the evacuation of a gold mine and is threatening sage grouse habitat.
All told, the fires have burned nearly 300 square miles (777 sq. kilometers) of mostly rangeland.
Fire crews continued to get the upper hand Wednesday on one that shut down Interstate 80 most of Tuesday along the California-Nevada line west of Reno. All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane are now open.
The biggest blaze, the Rooster Comb fire, has burned 180 square miles (466 sq. kilometers) of grass and brush 25 miles north of Battle Mountain.
That fire forced the evacuation of the Hollister Mine on Tuesday. No structures have burned. But authorities say it could potentially affect multiple residences, mines, power lines, wildlife habitat and grazing allotments.
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Eds: This story corrects an earlier version that erroneously reported that the Rooster Comb fire had burned 1,800 square miles and the statewide total was nearly 2,000 square miles. The Rooster Comb fire has burned 180 square miles for a statewide total of nearly 300 square miles.
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