First Responder Report: Sheriff’s office handles 144 calls; SR 318 crash temporarily closes highway

Lincoln County first responders remained busy during the week of Aug. 3-9, with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office reporting 144 calls for service and Pahranagat Valley Volunteer Fire District responding to medical emergencies, fire reports and motor vehicle accidents.

The Sheriff’s Office responded to incidents throughout the county during the week, including thefts, search warrants, domestic incidents, an assault, suspicious circumstances, missing persons reports and several traffic accidents.

In Alamo, deputies investigated both a theft and an auto theft, with the incidents remaining under investigation. A search warrant conducted in the community resulted in one arrest, while a separate domestic call later in the week also resulted in an arrest.

Search warrants were also conducted in Pioche and Caliente, resulting in three arrests—two in Pioche and one in Caliente. Deputies made additional arrests following an assault call in Rachel, a domestic incident in Caliente and a suspicious circumstances call in Pioche, where two individuals were taken into custody.

Deputies responded to two missing person reports in Ursine during the week. In both cases, the individuals were located unharmed.

In Panaca, deputies investigated a theft that remains under investigation and responded to a two-vehicle accident in which no injuries were reported. Another two-vehicle collision near Hiko resulted in medical personnel evaluating those involved, with no ambulance transport required.

The week concluded with several additional incidents, including a sex offense investigation in the Pioche area that resulted in one arrest and a threatening call in Caliente that also resulted in an arrest. Deputies also responded to a single-vehicle accident where those involved were medically evaluated and did not require transport.

Pahranagat Valley Volunteer Fire District reported seven calls during the week, including medical emergencies, fire reports and motor vehicle accidents.

PVVFD crews responded to medical calls in Alamo and Hiko. Two adults were evaluated and treated for separate medical concerns in the Alamo area, with neither requiring ambulance transport. In Hiko, crews provided emergency medical care to a juvenile before transporting the patient by ambulance to a regional medical facility for further evaluation and treatment.

Fire officials were also notified of several reported wildland fires during the week. A fire believed to have been started by lightning was reported in a remote mountain range north of Curtis Canyon Road near Alamo. Because of the location and jurisdiction, the incident was reported to the Bureau of Land Management, and no PVVFD apparatus response or suppression activity was documented.

Two additional fire reports were received in the Mt. Irish area on Aug. 8, one during the morning and another later that afternoon. Both were reported to the Bureau of Land Management.

One of the week’s more significant incidents occurred Aug. 8 when PVVFD responded to a two-vehicle collision on State Route 318 involving a box truck and a pickup truck towing an RV camper.

Initial reports indicated the roadway was blocked and raised concerns about possible hazardous materials. Both lanes of SR 318 were temporarily closed due to the position of the damaged trailer and a propane leak from the camper.

EMS personnel assessed three individuals involved in the collision and determined that no ambulance transport was required.

Fire crews were able to clear the northbound travel lane, allowing the highway to partially reopen. PVVFD and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office provided traffic control, alternating northbound and southbound vehicles through the area until traffic control was turned over to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Lynn’s Towing, with assistance from NDOT, cleared the RV trailer from the southbound lane, allowing normal travel operations to resume.