An approximately 30,000-acre fire in the Mojave National Preserve was sending smoke into the Las Vegas Valley on Saturday afternoon.

At around 12:10 p.m. Friday, smoke was seen coming from the New York Mountains inside the preserve. The wildfire was discovered near the Caruthers Canyon in an area made up of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to the Mojave National Preserve.

The fire spread in a northeast direction and was moving at a moderate speed. In a Saturday morning update, officials said the fire was 4,200 acres and that aircraft would be used for fire retardant drops. Crews on the ground were working to establish more direct access to the fire.

Stephanie Bishop, a public information officer with Mojave National Preserve, said around 4:30 p.m. that the fire was approximately 30,000 acres and zero percent contained. No injuries have been reported and no evacuations have been needed as of Saturday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said the fire will likely continue sending smoke into the area through Sunday.

Around 5 p.m., air quality in parts of Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City was moderate, according to the Clark County Division of Air Quality.

Some Las Vegas Valley residents posted on social media Saturday about how they initially thought the smoke was cloud cover.”

Mojave National Preserve is located in northeastern San Bernardino County in California, south of Interstate 15. It is approximately 60 miles southwest of Henderson.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.