1 dead, nearly 50 homes evacuated after Henderson brush fire, official says
A person was found dead and several dozens of homes were evacuated after a brush fire extended to a residential area in Henderson on Wednesday, the city’s fire chief said.
The fire has since been contained with the help of firefighting crews from Clark County and the Bureau of Land Management, and residents have been allowed to return to their homes, Henderson Fire Department Chief Scott Vivier told reporters during a briefing Wednesday morning.
Officials are investigating the death and the cause of the blaze, Vivier added.
Vivier said crews received a call at about 4:30 a.m. reporting the blaze in the Whitney Mesa area.
Arriving firefighters found the fire had grown to between two and three acres and had already extended to one home and damaged landscaping at a second home, Vivier said. The first firefighters arrived on scene less than five minutes after receiving initial reports, Vivier said.
“Fire crews were able to quickly deploy and contain the fire to the area of origin and extinguish it with no further damage to the surrounding area or other structures,” Vivier said.
Happening now: big fire at the Whitney Mesa nature area right next to the Whitney Ranch neighborhood in Henderson pic.twitter.com/z0t053pC0h
— Bryan Horwath (@bryanhorwath) January 14, 2026
By 7 a.m., the fire appeared to be extinguished, leaving a dozen scorched palm trees and other charred plants in the recreation area. On West Sunset Road, firefighters removed hoses from nearby hydrants and rinsed debris from the street and sidewalks.
Heavy smoke in the area caused about 50 homes to be evacuated, but residents have since safely returned home, Vivier said, adding there is no additional hazard at this time.
Vivier said the blaze likely grew to be so big because it happened when most residents were asleep, but when many near by saw it they began to self-evacuate.
Fire crews were going to remain at the scene and continue to cleanup the area and ensure no additional flare ups, Vivier said. BLM is offering expertise to help remove dangerous brush and trees that have been burned and mitigate future hazards, Vivier said.
A Bureau of Land Management spokesperson said firefighters had stopped the fire’s forward progress, preventing any structural losses.
Additional information was not released.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.
