UPDATE: November 3, 2020:

Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue (TMFR) says the cause of the Poeville 2 Fire is still undetermined after a thorough investigation.

There was two fires in late June, the Poeville that sparked on June 26 and the Poeville 2 fire that started on Saturday, June 27, 2020.

The Poeville Fire was mapped at 1.4 acres while the Poeville 2 fire burned 2,974 acres and destroyed several structures, according to TMFR. No one died as a result of these fires.

TMFR says a BLM Fire Investigator determined the cause of the Poeville 2 Fire to be a rekindle (or restart) of the Poeville fire from the previous evening on Friday, June 26 however, the TMFR investigation does not support a rekindle as the cause. TMFR says they don't support that cause due to the locations of the origins of the fires.

TMFR’s Investigators determined the area of origin of the Poeville 2 Fire to be a second separate area more than 300 feet west of the prior fire’s perimeter.

TMFR says crews found a homemade barbecue grill in the same area that was not there the previous night during the first incident. According to video evidence, this barbeque was dropped in the area between 10:14 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on June 27th, the time of the second incident.

Officials add, "Given the strength, consistency, and direction of wind flow at the time of the second incident, had any burning embers or material been present, they would have traveled with the wind's direction and not against it. And finally, the lack of a competent ignition source along the perimeter is another fact that does not support a rekindle."

The first Poeville fire broke out around 9:45 p.m. on Friday June 26. This fire was determined to be an accident caused by the person of a vehicle using propane-powered equipment in the bed of the truck.  The fire destroyed the truck but did not damage structures and there were no injuries reported.

The fire was completely extinguished by crews that night but because of the Red Flag Warning forecasted for the following day, Saturday, June 27, TMFR crews remained on scene overnight.

The last TMFR unit left the scene at 10:05 a.m. on June 27, 2020. 

At approximately 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, smoke was visible near the fire's general area from the previous evening.

Officials say the area of both incidents usually see a lot of activity as it did on June 27, 2020.  Several motorcycles and ATVs were seen traveling in various directions in this area on the morning of June 27. 

Investigators were told that a memorial for a longtime area resident was held on Peavine Mountain during that time.  Additionally, two unidentified people were seen on video in a side-by-side ATV near the origin's area with the reporting party. According to video footage, these two people would have been the first to witness the Poeville 2 Fire. Video showed that they drove their ATV up the hill near the area of origin and told the reporting party that they had tried to extinguish the fire.  The reporting party did not know them and could not describe them to investigators. The people left the scene before Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, or TMFR arrived and have not come forward for a statement.

As mentioned above, TMFR says crews found a homemade barbecue grill in the area of the Poeville 2 fire.

TMFR continues to seek witnesses or anyone who may have any information related to the events and circumstances involving the Poeville 2 Fire on Saturday, June 27, 2020 to contact 775-326-6000, or Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.

To read the full report, see the document below.

 

Original Story, July 2020:

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District is seeking information regarding the Poeville Fire on Peavine Mountain on June 27, 2020 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. If you have any information, contact Deputy Chief Dale Way at 775-326-6005.

Meanwhile, Fire crews say they are making progress on the Poeville Fire which sparked on Peavine Mountain over the weekend. There were 250 firefighters at the start of the fire and that number decreased to 167 on Tuesday. Containment is at 98%, but the work isn't done just yet.

Containing the Poeville Fire has taken a lot of work. "I'm feeling pretty tired. The first day we got here, we worked a 25 hour shift, then we worked a night shift, and two more shifts after that. It's common to work 16 hour days," said BLM firefighter Tobin Schultz. 20-year-old Tobin Schultz is a college student. His summer job is fighting fires during the summer, and the Poeville Fire has been intimidating.

"On the first day it was pretty intimidating watching those flame lengths coming off the mahogany and sage driven by the wind. It was intimidating. But you just have to quench your fears and do your job," said Schultz. He is one of the firefighters who's been there all four days. He says the fight against the fire is personal. The number of structures burnt has reached 11. Schultz says that kind of damage hits him on a personal level. "Seeing people's homes threatened and seeing structures burned and damage is hurtful to see. We all hate to see that happen," said Schultz.

Now the firefighters are mopping up what's left and hitting hot spots. "When they find the hot spots they are digging them up or whatever they need to do to cool them down," said Nevada Inter-agency Team 3 Fire Information Officer Dorothy Harvey.

Over the first 3 days. 3,000 acres burnt. Since then there's only been 10 acres of damage. Schultz says he's digging the progress. Officials say the fire is no longer a threat to the area.

On Wednesday, bulldozers come back to help hand crews clean up. Fire crews are asking people to stay away from the area for the time being.

All evacuations have been lifted.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says its has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the State of Nevada in combating the Poeville Road Fire burning in Washoe County.

On Saturday, the State of Nevada submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Poeville Road Fire. At the time of the request, the fire threatened approximately 4,000 homes in and around Black Springs, Golden Valley, and Seneca. 

The FEMA regional administrator approved the state’s request on June 27, 2020, as the fire threatened to become a major incident.

FMAGs provide federal funding for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs. The Disaster Relief Fund provides allowances for FMAGs through FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause major disasters. Eligible costs covered by FMAGs can include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization, and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire.

No injuries have been reported.

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