Evacuations were ordered Monday in a residential area where a fast-moving brush fire destroyed at least one home and damaged at least a half-dozen others.
The fire reportedly started in sage brush and grass on a hillside and quickly burned up to 2 acres as it made its way into homes.
There were no reports of injuries, Reno Fire spokesman Steve Frady told The Associated Press.
More than 50 firefighters, 10 fire engines, two ladder trucks, a rescue unit and a helicopter were battling the blaze in gusty winds, Frady said.
"They jumped on it really fast. Sometimes conditions just combine to make it difficult to catch," he said.
The fire sent up a large plume of black smoke visible from downtown Reno about five miles away.
The cause of the fire had not been determined but investigators were looking into reports that some juveniles were seen running from the area about the time the blaze broke out just before 3 p.m. on the north edge of Reno east of U.S. Highway 395.
The fire is in the same neighborhood where a fire destroyed four homes and damaged a fifth in 2004. That blaze was started by a pair of boys playing with fireworks.
Monday's fire is not far from the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, from where spokeswoman Brooke Keast said she saw one house fully engulfed almost immediately after the fire broke out.
"There were flames coming from every angle," she told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Frady said it was difficult to determine if more than one home had been destroyed.
"There are two in front of me with substantial damage. I don't know if they will be inhabitable, but I can tell you right now they are not inhabitable," he said. "Another one burned to the ground. Another one may have started as an ember on a wood shake roof."
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy