BOISE — Fire officials have determined that humans started the massive wildfire that has burned nearly 700 square miles in a remote area of northern Nevada.
The National Fire Interagency Center in Boise confirmed Wednesday the Martin Fire is human-caused.
Investigators say they suspect that Fourth of July campers started the blaze that first was reported on July 5 near the rural town of Paradise Valley about 200 miles northeast of Reno. But the specific cause remains under investigation.
The blaze that has charred an area nearly half the size of the state of Rhode Island is now 48 percent contained and no populated areas currently are threatened.
Fire crews have dug a containment line around about half of the fire, but more than 600 firefighters continue to battle temperatures approaching triple-digits in difficult high-desert terrain about 20 miles south of the Idaho line.
The fire line now extends 57 miles on its south border about 60 miles north of Interstate 80 between Winnemucca and Elko.
Temporary flight restrictions have been put in place above the fire, which is visible from space.
Federal officials scheduled a pair of meetings to update area residents on the status of the fire at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Humboldt County Commissioner's building in Winnemucca and at the Bureau of Land Management district office in Elko.
