A Wildfire Is Burning Near Secretive Area 51

Flames are racing across remote Nevada desert not far from one of America's most famous off-limits sites. The Quail Springs Fire near Area 51 has been burning for nearly a week and is just 7% contained, federal land managers say, after ballooning to about 13,000 acres amid brutal heat, dry winds, and rough terrain, reports the BBC. An extreme heat warning is in place through at least Sunday, with no rain in the forecast.

The fire is charring part of the Nevada Test and Training Range, a closed military reservation adjacent to the closely guarded Air Force facility known as Area 51. It's believed to have been started by a lightning strike. No homes or public facilities are currently at risk, but residents of the tiny town of Rachel have been cautioned about smoke and encouraged to stay indoors, per Fox 5 Vegas. Nevada's blaze comes as Oregon has seen more than a million acres burn and Canada continues to battle hundreds of fires.