As Fire Crews continue to do deep mop-up of hot spots, investigators continue to search for the cause of the fire. 

It has come to the attention of investigators that three teens on dirt bikes were seen near the start of the fire. They are "not" suspects, but investigators would like to talk with them about what they might have seen.

Investigators with Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue in an online post are asking anyone who might know who these teens are to either call (775) 326-609 or email: info@tmfpd.us with information.  

UPDATE - NOVEMBER 14: 

The 65-acre Callahan Fire is now 95% contained. Fire crews are continuing to focus on deep mop-up after hot spots, with an additional 15 fire members that will be patrolling the fire perimeter throughout the weekend. 

A total of 45 fire personnel will remain on scene Thursday mopping up and securing the fire line.

It's important to note that Chief Charles Moore, with the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District says containment doesn't mean extinguishment. 

Chief Moore goes on to say 100% containment means they're confident in the fire not jumping the containment perimeter line, meaning they're confident the fire won't jump the line and start other fires.

“It does mean we have control lines established around the entire perimeter of the fire and we usually work back within 100 feet from the edge of the fire, 100 feet inward to make sure that everything is cold,” he said.

Chief Moore says, for the public, when you hear that "forward progress has been stopped" that's when you should have a sigh of relief because it means the fire is no longer advancing and that they're starting to gain a good handle on the fire.

The Chief says they are aware more wind is on it's way tomorrow, which is why they're trying to make sure all the hot spots are cold so the fire doesn't spread.

He explains, “There is a wind event tomorrow so we want to ask everybody to be diligent and mindful of what can happen again, but I understand there will be some significant moisture with that wind event so hopefully the storm will be a season ending storm for wildfire season in 2024.”

He goes on to say, “They’re mopping up, they’re making sure the fire lines are sufficiently wide enough to contain the fire, we still have 115 firefighters on the seen from 20 different agencies, so we’re going to be suing them throughout the day before they’re released later tonight.”

After tonight they're going to use their wildland fire crews to monitor and look for hot spots for the days to come.

Chief Moore told us the rain the other day helped them with their firefighting efforts significantly, slowing the progression of the fire. But the wind at 50 mph wasn't doing the fire crews any favors.

He says it's typical to have wind in the late fall “All of the major fires that this area has experienced have been wind driven fires. And the reason why that’s a problem for us is because it moves the fire faster than we can deploy resources to cut off the advance of the fire.”

The Chief noted that one firefighter was injured with a minor back injury during the fire fight, and tells us one home and three outbuildings were unfortunately lost to the blaze.

The Chief tells us “I know the citizens are tired, firefighters are tired from the long season so we hope that this will end it once and for all.”

There were also some reports of people getting in the way of firefighters during evacuation. But Chief Moore says this is to be expected when evacuating so many people at once.

“Anytime you evacuate 3,000 people and we’re bringing in all kinds of fire trucks you’re going to have conflicts there. What we would ask the public is that no matter what you’re doing, if you’re evacuating by car or what not, to be mindful of emergency equipment coming in.”

Traffic is to be expected when first responders are coming in while everyone else is trying to get out, Chief Moore mentions both need to be careful.

“We want people to know when we order you to evacuate and we issue those warning’s that you really do need to leave and not stay around and watch the firefighting effort that’s dangerous for both of us.”

Chief Moore also wanted to thank the community for creating defensible space around their homes. They noticed people had this done while fighting the Davis Fire and the recent Callahan Ranch Fire. 

He's grateful because it makes a significant difference on whether or not your home is going to survive during a fire “Creating defensible space gives us a fighting chance to defend your home.”

If you have any information that can help with the investigation, call TMFR Fire Prevention at 775.326.6079 or email info@tmfpd.us.