Update: Residents asked to prepare for evacuation due to Delaware fire

Mound House and Silver City residents are being asked to prepare for possible evacuation because of the Delaware fire, which has burned more than 250 acres in American Flat.

Residents are asked to create a defensible space between structures and grass and brush, remove all flammable materials away from buildings and clear vegetation from fences and buildings as soon as possible.

If an evacuation is requested, Lyon County Emergency management will contact the media to issue an alert and advise residents where to evacuate. The sheriff's office and search and rescue will also be in the area to assist with evacuations.

No evacuations are requested at this time, but residents are asked to prepare and to clear vegetation and other flammable materials.

Fifty homes and outbuildings are within two to three miles southeast of the fire. Numerous cell phone/TV/radio microwave towers are positioned along the top of McCelland Peak, immediately west of the fire.

The fire, which was started by lightning at 6:28 p.m. Thursday, is burning in grass, sagebrush, pinon-juniper and scattered Jeffrey pine.

Agencies on scene include Storey County Fire, Nevada Division of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, California Division of Forestry, Lyon County Fire, Mason Valley Fire, Reno Fire, Carson City Fire and Sparks Fire.

Goni Road at the north end of Carson City is closed to all vehicles. The closure affects only access to public lands. Neighborhood streets at the base are open.

All roads across public lands west of Silver City and American Flat are also closed to all but fire personnel.

A single tree has also been reported on fire in Kings Canyon. A heavy air tanker has been called in to fight the fire, believed to have been started by lightning Thursday.