Elko County fire chief: 96 wildland incidents burned more than 30,000 acres this year

District Chief Matt Peterson reported to the Elko County meeting that the district handled an above-average fire season this year, running 96 wildland incidents and "we burned just over 30,000 acres in the county," much of it tied to a single large event. He identified the Castle Ridge/Midas incident as the largest, saying, "the Midas fire was the Castle Ridge fire and it was, about 25,000 and some change, I believe."

Peterson told commissioners the causes included lightning and accidental human starts, and he outlined preparedness work: 18 task books and certifications were completed over the summer to build local and incident-management capacity, federal partners (BLM and U.S. Forest Service) have lifted some restrictions, and prescribed-fire projects have been submitted for grant funding to reduce hazardous fuel in wildland–urban interface areas. He also said the district is delaying local burning until more favorable weather and noted continuing coordination needs with utility contractors for vegetation management along rights-of-way.