Wildfires Threaten Area 51

35,000 acres involved as of Monday.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Wildfires are burning in Nevada, reportedly started by a lightning strike on July 4, and are located as close as 15 miles from Area 51.
  • The fire has spread to 35,000 acres, causing smoke to drift to Las Vegas, though no evacuations have been ordered.
  • The fires' proximity to the legendary Area 51 has fueled various internet conspiracy theories, ranging from government cover-ups to alien intervention, which skeptics dismiss as a natural wildfire.
See a mistake? Contact us.

News outlets are reporting wildfires burning as close as 15 miles from the legendary Area 51 facility in Nevada, sparking internet conspiracy theories along with the flames. Started on July 4 reportedly by a lightning strike, the blaze began in Clark County about 40 miles north of Las Vegas.

As of Monday, the fire had spread to cover 35,000 acres and smoke and haze had drifted as far as Las Vegas. So far, no evacuations have been ordered or advised.

Internet contributors have claimed that the fires are the result of everything from government conspiracies designed to cover up sensitive data on extraterrestrial life to alien intervention. But skeptics have pushed back with statements such as, “It’s a brush fire,” “There is no unexplained activity” and “They are using resources available to combat a naturally occurring wildfire.”

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

Continue discussion - Visit the forum

Replies: 4

  1. ‘But skeptics have pushed back with statements such as, “It’s a brush fire..’

    Haha what do they know. Everyone I know believes it was two chemtrails above Area 51 that deliberately collided to caused a bolt of lightning that missed its target of the housed aliens in the barracks at 51 and unfortunately caused a stupid brush fire nearby.
    Heads will roll, people are saying.

  2. Imagine all these alien hoaxes going up in smoke after all this time. Catastrophic!

  3. And it happens just as the Epstein conspiracy blazes away. Cannot be a co-incidence, he looked a bit like the ET alien after all…

  4. A Jewish Space laser can certainly cause that!

Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox

SUBSCRIBE

Please support AVweb.

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker. Ads keep AVweb free and fund our reporting.
Please whitelist AVweb or continue with ads enabled.