Add The California Post on Google A raging inferno is spreading at the California-Nevada border after two wildfires merged Tuesday morning, creating a massive blaze spanning more than 44,000 acres.
The Bug Fire and Fred Mountain Fire, burning north of Reno, Nevada, have combined into a single fire, according to mapping data from the National Interagency Fire Center, as scorching heat, bone-dry vegetation and gusty winds fuel the explosive growth.
Firefighters are scrambling to build containment lines around the northern, eastern and southern edges of the sprawling burn. The Nevada National Guard and military police have joined federal crews and firefighters from Las Vegas and California in battling the flames, according to KOLO 8 News Now.
The fast-moving fire has prompted new evacuation orders near Winnemucca Ranch Road, while nearly 3,000 people who were previously forced from their homes have been cleared to return.
Several homes have been destroyed, although officials are still assessing the damage. Two people — including a firefighter — have been injured and released after treatment.
Officials said the Bug Fire was human-caused, but the circumstances remain under investigation.
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