A call for “all available units” at 5:20 a.m., Monday, July 20, sent members of the Beatty Volunteer Fire Department scrambling to Fleur de Lis Road off Highway 95 north of Beatty. A large plume of smoke visible from town signaled a sizable fire.
The wildfire was located on property formerly owned by George and LaRene Younghans, who are now residents of Pahrump.
Beatty Fire Chief Mike Harmon said that the fire apparently started from an electrical box on a power pole between two ponds on the property.
The fire had plenty of fuel in the dry conditions, mainly burning creosote bushes and grasses, including cattails. Harmon said that some of the grass was six to eight feet tall.
It was fortunate that there was no significant wind at the time of the fire, so although it burned an estimated 10-20 acres, it was slow in advancing.
The fire department got help from David Spicer, whose ranch neighbors Fleur de Lis. He arrived with a skip loader and operator Charles Node. This piece of equipment enabled the firefighters to establish a fire line to keep the fire away from structures and large trees on the property.
“That’s what you do,” said Spicer: “Help a neighbor. That’s what were here for, to help keep our community safe.”
Harmon said the fire was 98 percent contained by 11:30 a.m. Firemen returned to town at that time, but Harmon went back several times in the day to monitor hot spots.
“The edges were all cool,” said Harmon, “so we weren’t worried about hot spots in the black.”
Valley Electric employees were on the property later repairing burned power poles.
Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.