U.S. Forest Service-Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

The Hawk Fire Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team released this soil burn severity map for the affected area. Soil burn severity is a measure of the fire's effect on the ground surface and soil condition. This map identifies the fire-induced changes in soil and ground surface properties that may affect infiltration, runoff, and erosion potential. The BAER Team uses this map to identify areas of unacceptable risk to a critical value and where mitigating treatments may be most effective. The team's work is ongoing.

09/04/2026

The closure area for the McConnell fire burning in the Santa Rosa Ranger District has been scaled back. Hinkey Summit Road, Lye Creek Campground and Buckskin Road are all back open.
Forest Order here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/humboldt-toiyabe/alerts/mcconnell-fire-closure-santa-rosa-ranger-district

09/03/2026

Angel Lake Campground and Day Use Area will close for the season Tuesday, Sept. 8. The closure will allow crews to begin construction on the long-awaited new Angel Lake Dam. This project marks a significant investment in improving the lake’s infrastructure and long-term safety for visitors.

Once construction is complete, visitors will enjoy expanded shoreline access, improved fishing conditions, and additional space for launching non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks and paddleboards.

Construction is expected to continue through the fall season. The Forest Service will provide updates as work progresses and encourages visitors to explore other recreation sites in the area during the temporary closure.

Full press release here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/humboldt-toiyabe/newsroom/releases/angel-lake-campground-and-day-use-area-closing-season

09/03/2026

Smokey will be heading to the Great Reno Balloon Race next week to attend this event. Be sure to stop by and see us.

08/31/2026

From the crew of Engine 315: Today the Carson Ranger District says goodbye to one of its longest-serving fire management employees. Taylor Farrington spent more than two decades with the Forest Service. His dynamic career spanned hand crews, aviation, and engine modules. He served as the captain of Engine 315 in Markleeville for the last nine years. His leadership, dedication and mentorship have been invaluable assets during his time here and will be missed. His crew extends their heartfelt appreciation for his years of service and wishes him well in his future endeavors.

08/31/2026

🔥 | McConnell Fire Update
Acres: 32,568 | Containment: 36%
Total personnel: 246
Total resources: 10 crews | 5 helicopters | 13 engines | 7 dozers

🔥 | Summary: Crews continued containment efforts Sunday, increasing the containment to 36%. Inspections of existing containment lines found little to no fire activity there. Firefighters did encounter an area of minimal fire activity high in the Willow Creek drainage on the northeast side of the fire. Crews were able to reduce the potential for further spread.
The area east of Santa Rosa Peak in the Cottonwood Creek drainage continues to experience moderate fire activity. Due to extremely hazardous terrain and conditions, crews cannot safely conduct direct attack operations. Yesterday crews worked to box in the area with retardant drops and continued to build contingency and containment lines around it to prevent it from moving east down the valley.

🌡️ | Fire Weather: Temperatures are forecast to range from the upper 70s to a high of 81 degrees, with low humidity. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected today due to a combination of southwest winds gusting to around 25 mph and very low daytime relative humidity near 10%. These elevated fire weather conditions will persist through at least Tuesday. The fuels in the area remain extremely dry and the fire danger continues to be high across the surrounding areas.

⚠️ | Evacuations and Closures: Evacuations and Closures: Level 1 “Get Ready” and Level 2 “Get Set” evacuation zones have been established in and around areas of Orovada and Paradise Valley. Currently, areas of Orovada east of U.S. Highway 95 are under level 2 evacuation status. The Hinkey Summit area is also under Level 2 status for cabins, structures and the campground.

The most current evacuation information can be found at perimetermap.com/humboldt. Authorities are asking the public to remain vigilant and be safe as fire suppression and restoration efforts continue.

All National Forest lands, roads, and trails east of Hinkey Summit Road #50084 within the Santa Rosa Ranger District of the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest are closed to the public.

🚫 | Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in place for northwest Nevada. For details, visit https://www.nevadafireinfo.org/restrictions.

📝 | Community meeting: A community meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 in the Paradise Community Hall. Wildland Firefighters, along with federal and county officials will be there to give the latest update and answer questions from the community.

More information:
☎️ | (775) 432-0815 (8 A.M. – 8 P.M.)
📧 | [email protected]
💻 | http://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident.../nvwid-mcconnell-fire

Photo: Slope-over suppressed on northwest side of McConnel Fire.

08/31/2026

08/31/2026