Firefighters stop progress of big blaze
Martin Griffith | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years AGO
<p>Firefighters wait for water before attacking an outbuilding adjacent to a home Thursday in Pleasant Valley, Nev. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods.</p>
RENO, Nev. - Fire officials say they have stopped the forward progress of a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno, Nev., that burned several structures and forced about 10,000 people to flee their homes.
Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez says crews were able to stop the wall of flames before it reached Galena High School. That's where Vice President Joe Biden spoke Thursday before the fire threat forced him to cut his appearance short.
The flames were visible from Reno's downtown casino district, about 10 miles away.
Hernandez says crews expect to work through the weekend to get the fire fully contained. It has burned about 3,700 acres, or nearly 6 square miles, since it started shortly after noon.
Hernandez says several homes were destroyed, but he didn't have an exact number.
A Reno television station reported at least 10 homes had burned since the fire of unknown origin broke out shortly after noon along U.S. Highway 395.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ARTICLES BY MARTIN GRIFFITH
Researchers puzzled by rifle discovery
Bundy in spotlight again
Rancher denies firing gunshots near US researchers in Nevada
Nevada rancher and states' rights advocate Cliven Bundy said Saturday that contract researchers for the federal Bureau of Land Management had no business being on rangeland where he grazes cattle, but he denied he or his supporters fired gunshots near them.
