Plumas fire may be contained this week

By Reno Gazette-Journal

Smoke was visible in the Reno area on Tuesday as winds blew in smoke from the Bar Fire in the Plumas National Forest two hours west of Reno, said Zach Tolby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.

Progress was made Tuesday on the 900 acre fire as firefighters utilized helicopters and an aerial ignition process to burn out an inaccessible chunk in the center of the fire area, said Michele Jiménez-Holtz, a spokeswoman at the Plumas National Forest.

Along with continued work to mop-up the northern perimeter of the fire and hose-lays on portions of the east and west flanks of the fire, the strategic burn-out has given fire managers increased confidence that the Feather River Canyon fire will be successfully contained this week, Jiménez-Holtz said.