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--> --> Tahoe firefighters brace for winds RENO, Nev. (AP) - Firefighters faced a major test Saturday as they raced to corral a raging 14,500-acre forest fire west of Reno before predicted high winds make their job harder. The Martis blaze was 50 percent contained with the rest bordered by only a "preliminary line." Forecasters said a weather system would bring cooler temperatures but stronger winds, with gusts up to 50 mph expected in in the Sierra over the weekend. "This will be the first sustained high winds for us since the fire broke out Sunday. It definitely will present challenges," said fire information officer Phil Horning. Gusts of up to 25 mph in advance of the system caused no major problems for firefighters Friday, he said. Many of the 2,384 people fighting the fire focused their attention Friday on bolstering a preliminary line on the fire's eastern flank. Fire officials said high winds will probably push the blaze eastward toward the line, posing a potential threat to 500 or so suburban Reno homes below it. The fire was four or five miles from some of the homes Friday. "Our main concern is the wind pushing embers over the line and starting spot fires in canyons (above the homes)", Horning said. "It would be hard to stop the fires from continuing down canyon. "All it would take is one ember in an area with thick vegetation to cause us problems." Air tankers on Friday dropped thousands of gallons of retardant on the eastern flank of the line. Hand crews also worked to widen the line. Helicopters will be poised to drop water on any spot fires Saturday, officials said. Forecasters do not expect the weekend winds to push the fire toward Incline Village and the Lake Tahoe Basin. The fire was within 1.5 miles Friday of some Incline Village homes. The fire, fanned by 35 mph winds, exploded on Sunday east of Truckee, Calif., racing eastward through 2,000 acres an hour at times. Calm winds and firefighters' efforts have slowed the advance of the blaze. The fire now is centered in the Mount Rose Wilderness Area above Reno. The fire has scorched about 2,500 acres of the 28,000-acre wilderness so far. Investigators said evidence suggests the blaze started with an escaped campfire at an illicit marijuana farm. Three California Division of Forestry trucks responded on Saturday to a small blaze near Glenshire, Calif., along Interstate 80 about 30 miles southwest of Reno. The crews dropped 3,400 gallons of water on the fire and put a line around it. They were due to inspect the site again at 1 p.m. Sunday, but the Martis blaze broke out in the same area about an hour earlier. "It's possible that the fire they put out could have picked up again and escaped Sunday," Horning said. "They really don't think that's the case, but it is possible. "But I don't think it's wise to jump to conclusions and say it's the firefighters' fault. It's still way too early in the investigation." The fire also may have been caused by a marijuana farmer who returned to the site to burn evidence or by itinerant campers, Horning added. It has cost more than $6.2 million to fight the fire so far. --- On the Net: California Department of Forestry fire information: http://www.fire.ca.gov/ National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov/information.html Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing