A wildfire in the Mojave National Preserve is making its way into Clark County near Nipton and Searchlight, the county said in a news release Sunday.
The Clark County Fire Department was stationing a mobile command near the Nevada-California state line and is “providing resources” to combat the York fire, which began in the preserve around noon on Friday near Caruthers Canyon.
The fire had grown to 70,000 acres as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
In an update posted Sunday morning on InciWeb, an incident information management system, the bureau said the fire was 0 percent contained and fire crews had seen 20-foot flames in some areas of the park.
“The focus today is on containment and suppression efforts, this is critical to limit the fire’s spread,” the update read. “The continued use of aircraft will be for fire retardant drops, and water drops to try and assist in slowing down the fire’s progression and allow the ground crews the ability to create containment lines.”
High winds on Saturday along with dry fuels have created “extremely challenging” firefighting conditions, the bureau said.
The county is advising people to avoid State Route 164, which connects Searchlight to Nipton.
The bureau also advised people in the area to stay updated on official information and follow safety instructions from local authorities.
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