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Massive Wind-Fueled Fire in Reno Prompts State of Emergency
by Becky Kellogg, Matt Sampson, and The Associated Press , on Nov 18, 2011 8:44 am ET
Updated: 2:50pm, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011.
Raw: Wildfire threatens homes
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A huge wind-driven wildfire in Reno, Nevada has destroyed at least 20 homes and threatens hundreds more today. Multiple injuries and one death have been reported.
State and county officials in northern Nevada have declared a state of emergency and nearly 10,000 residents have been evacuated. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared the fire a major disaster.
Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez tells the Reno Gazette-Journal that the 400-acre blaze is burning in steep canyons and deep ravines, and "is not going to be out any time soon." About 125 crew members are fighting the blaze, with no cause known yet.
Police in Reno went house to house in the middle of the night, pounding on doors and telling residents they had to evacuate as the blaze raged in rough terrain, destroyed homes and injured people.
The fire started around 12:30am (Pacific time) in the Caughlin area, and has left thousands of people without power.
A view of the huge fire burning southwest of Reno. The downtown is in the foreground. A high wind warning for the Reno area continues through Friday afternoon.
(Courtesy: National Weather Service Reno office)
"This fire couldn't have started at a worse time, meteorologically," says weather.com Senior Meteorologist Jon Erdman. "An approaching cold front and a vigorous jet stream disturbance have combined to whip up strong southwest winds in the foothills on Reno's southwest side. Truly a nightmare for containment efforts."
"The whole mountain was on fire," said Dick Hecht, a Mountain Springs Road resident who escaped with his wife first to a shopping center and later to Reno High School after waking to the smell of intense smoke about 1:30 a.m.
The view out the windows of their house was "this big red glow out there," Hecht said. "It was so smoky you couldn't hardly see."
The couple tried to return to before dawn to their home, but were turned back by high winds, Hecht said.
Ninety schools in northern Nevada are closed as crews battle the wind-whipped wildfire that has burned several homes and injured people.
Crews fighting the blaze wanted to clear the roads of school traffic to make way for emergency workers.
Reno spokeswoman Michele Anderson says six buildings have burned and about a dozen more are being protected, but more are threatened.
Emergency personnel respond to the a wildfire in Reno, Nev. Friday. Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez sayfire crews are having a tough time "getting ahead of" the 400-acre blaze.
(AP Photo/The Reno Gazette-Journal, Tim Dunn)
Two high schools are being used as shelters for hundreds of families who fled their homes. Officials have set up shelter sites for pets and livestock, and school buses are on standby to help with evacuations.
A Reno city spokesman confirmed that a man suffered a cardiac arrest and died after leaving his home Friday morning. Several other people suffered smoke inhalation.
Reno resident Kathy Harrah said she was panicking when an officer knocked on her door in the middle of the night. She ordered her son rip a computer out of a wall and load up household items in their truck as they evacuated.
"I was watching the fire all night," Harrah told the Reno-Gazette-Journal. "I didn't know it was going to get this bad."
Elected officials were sending out their condolences early Friday.
"I am deeply saddened by the devastating fires in Reno that have displaced families and destroyed homes," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., in a statement. "My thoughts are with all of the families that have been affected by this terrible disaster."
Chris Good of the Reno City Public Information Office spoke with The Weather Channel on air this morning. Mr. Good noted that the Health Department is monitoring this event, and as of 6:00am this morning (Pacific time) there has been a spike in particulate matter in the air, caused by the blaze.
Please evacuate immediately if you live in or near one of these areas.
