Tuscarora evacuation lifted in NV fires

CARLIN (AP) - A wet storm moving into the Sierra promised some help for firefighters battling a series of wildfires across northern Nevada on Tuesday as crews lifted an evacuation at a small mining town and continued to keep the flames from damaging any homes.

A trio of wildfires in north-central and northeast Nevada continued to grow, burning up tens of thousands of acres of prime mule deer and game bird habitat in largely unpopulated parts of the state. But shifting winds on Tuesday allowed several dozen residents to return to the tiny mining town of Tuscarora after one blaze forced mandatory evacuations the night before.

Mallory Eils, spokeswoman for the multi-agency fire incident team, said the Indian Creek fire "caused a little bit of concern" late Monday.

"But they got a bulldozer line around it and no structures have been burned," she said. She said widespread rainfall and much cooler temperatures were expected to move in early Wednesday.

More than 500 firefighters have battled the flames across an area equal to 250 square miles since lightening touched off the fires making up the Dunphy complex on Friday and Saturday. Fire officials say no injuries or property damage has been reported beyond a pair of abandoned mining shacks.

The evacuation in Tuscarora was lifted about 10 a.m. Tuesday for residents of the community about 20 miles north of Interstate 80 but area closures remain in place for hunting and recreational traffic.

Strong winds had pushed the Indian Creek fire toward Tuscarora Monday afternoon, forcing the evacuation as firefighters set up protection around structures and bulldozed fire lines.