Kingsbury fire danger is over

Firefighters wielding chain saws and shovels built a line all the way around a wildfire burning near Kingsbury Grade by 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The fire’s size was revised to 5 acres, said Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch spokesman Mark Struble.

One firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, said Douglas County Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Pat Brooks.

Two-hundred firefighters responded to the fire, which was reported at 2:56 p.m. when a plume of smoke was spotted rising just north of Highway 207. Kingsbury Grade reopened at 7:45 p.m.

Struble said the fire started on private property and burned onto land in the U.S. Forest Service’s Carson Ranger District. The cause is under investigation; recent thunderstorms could have provided the spark that ignited it.

Six hand crews cut a line around the fire in steep, rocky terrain, bringing it under control within hours of arriving. The fire burned in scattered forest.

High winds made the fire behave erratic, East Fork Fire Chief Tod Carlini said.

The winds, estimated at 50 mph or more, grounded firefighting aircraft. A fire, a quarter-acre in size, ignited above the main body of the fire.

A red-flag warning for critical fire danger in Western Nevada has been extended.