LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A pair of lightning-caused wildfires burning on restricted military lands northwest of Las Vegas have scorched more than 51,000 acres, federal officials said Wednesday.
The Mouse Meadow Fire, the larger of the two blazes, has grown to approximately 38,000 acres and remains at 0% containment on the Nevada National Security Site and the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Despite the lack of containment, fire progression has slowed on multiple fronts where the flames have run into natural barriers, open desert, and the scar from a 2025 wildfire.
No evacuations are currently in place, and officials said no publicly accessible structures or residences are threatened. However, smoke may impact the nearby community of Rachel and other areas of southern Nevada.
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“Firefighters are improving indirect containment lines using existing roads and monitoring fire progression,” the Great Basin Coordination Center said in an update. Aerial surveillance crews are also looking for opportunities to safely engage the flames.
Extreme summer conditions—including above-normal temperatures, single-digit relative humidity, and poor overnight humidity recovery—are expected to challenge crews as the fire continues to spread based on wind and terrain.
Nearby, crews have made significant progress on the Quail Springs Fire, which remains at 13,619 acres and is 75% contained. Fire activity there has been limited to creeping and smoldering within established containment lines.
Because of the high containment, officials have demobilized most resources from the Quail Springs Fire, leaving behind an incident commander and select engine crews to patrol the perimeter and extinguish remaining hotspots.
Both fires were sparked by lightning in late July. Responding agencies include the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.
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