Officials seek cause of wildfire that threatened 500 Reno-area homes

RENO — A wind-driven wildfire destroyed or damaged a dozen homes and other buildings in southwest Reno before being stopped by firefighters, authorities said.

Investigators on Wednesday would try to determine what started the fire reported Tuesday afternoon, Fire Chief David Cochran said during a Tuesday evening briefing.

The fire grew to have a perimeter of 1,200 acres before crews from multiple fire departments stopped its forward progress but not all of that area was burned, Cochran said.

Evacuations of affected area remained in place overnight.

Officials said up to 500 homes were threatened. No deaths or injuries were reported.

Winds gusting over 50 mph drove the flames but later subsided and rain fell in the area late Tuesday and into Wednesday.

Authorities cut power to about 7,000 customers as a precaution, and numerous roads were closed.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency in response to the fire following similar declarations from the City of Reno and Washoe County.

The declaration makes resources from the local, state and federal level are available to assist as needed during this emergency.

Several departments responded

Cochran said teams were responding from fire departments in Reno and California to help battle the blaze through the night.

“This is an extremely dynamic situation,” he said. “Precipitation is expected, but we’re not relying on that. We are working to protect homes to the extent that we can.”

Anita Noble of Reno was spraying down a hillside with a garden hose near her daughter’s home, telling KOLO-TV that she “could have been the one to save my daughter’s house and the neighbor’s house.”

“We were about ready to leave, and I saw a bunch of smoke, and my daughter said it was coming from up in the canyon, and it wasn’t, it was right below the ravine,” Noble said. “And it was within 10 yards from her property line, so I got the hose and I started spraying. And it helped.”

Mayor Hillary Schieve signed a local emergency declaration and pleaded with residents to stay out of the area. Police Chief Jason Soto said he was increasing patrols in evacuated neighborhoods to help protect homes and businesses.

Power cut to 7K as precaution

Authorities cut power to about 7,000 customers as a precaution, and several roads were closed.

Police assisted with evacuations, and the Red Cross set up an emergency shelter at the Washoe County senior center.

Meanwhile, crews north of Reno were battling a brush fire that broke out along the California-Nevada line and has forced the closure of State Highway 70 near Vinton and Chilcoot, California. Authorities said some structures were threatened.

Another fire about 100 miles to the south exploded in size after breaking out around noon Tuesday in California’s Mono County near the Nevada border. Evacuation orders were issued for the tiny mountain community of Walker and other nearby towns as wind-whipped flames churned through trees and dry brush.

The wind was blowing in ahead of a Sierra storm that the National Weather Service said was more powerful than one that carried winds gusting in excess of 100 mph last Friday.