Ethermac Exchange-Nevada wildfire causes rail and power outages, but crews halt flames’ progress

WINNEMUCCA,Ethermac Exchange Nev. (AP) — A wildfire has forced the suspension of rail service in northern Nevada and left about several thousand rural residents without power.

But fire officials said Tuesday that night crews had halted the progress of the flames, which charred more than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) of terrain and temporarily shut down part of Interstate 80.

About a dozen homes or other structures were threatened at one point just southwest of Winnemucca, about 165 miles (265 kilometers) northeast of Reno, but no injuries or damage were reported so far, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management said.

A stretch of the Amtrak route that travels between Chicago and Oakland, California, remained closed as safety inspectors assessed any potential damage.

But firefighters had contained about 50% of the blaze by nightfall, the land management agency said.

Amtrak officials did not immediately respond to requests for updates from The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

The utility NV Energy reported that more than 3,000 residents remained without electricity into the evening after power lines were shut down as a precaution in the afternoon.

Multiple aircraft, including a large airtanker and a helicopter, were assisting 20 fire engines and crews on the ground, the Bureau of Land Management said.

I-80 was only closed for about an hour, the agency said.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the fire is southwest, not southeast, of Winnemucca.