Firefighters stop advance of massive Reno wildfire

Update 5 p.m.: Firefighters have stopped the advance of the fire and are now going back and putting out hot spots. Light snow and lessening winds are helping the efforts. Reno Fire Chief Mike Hernandez said 25 homes have been impacted by the fire. The fire has burned between 1,700 and 2,000 acres. One firefighter has been injured, one person suffered a heart attack and died and more than 4,500 NV Energy customers are without power.

View Caughlin Fire (fka Pine Haven fire) in a larger map

Update 10 a.m: The State of Nevada, Washoe County and the City of Reno have declared a state of emergency. More than 9,500 people have been evacuated, according to City of Reno spokesman Chris Good. The 400-plus-acre fire is still zero percent contained. As of now, Galena High School is the evacuation point. If that fills up, Damonte Ranch High School will be the next evacuation point. Go here for the latest from UNR's Nevada Sagebrush and here from MyNews4.com. Update 7:11 a.m.: KRNV is on the air talking with Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez who is saying they have lost about 20 homes so far, and the strong winds are a big problem. He also said the winds are so strong that there is no way to get air attacks on this fire. An Emergency 211 number is being set up to provide better information for Reno residents. A wind-driven wildfire has burned more than 400 acres and consumed at least six homes in the Caughlin Ranch area in southwest Reno this morning. The Caughlin fire broke out around 12:30 a.m. and thousands have been told to evacuate. Residents are being evacuated to Reno High School, the designated area for evacuations. Fire agencies from the Carson City and Carson Valley areas have responded. South Shore Lake Tahoe Fire crews were called shortly before 5 a.m. Power is out to at least 1,000 homes in the area, according to NV Energy. Residents are being evacuated to Reno High School and Galena High School. Flames are threatening homes near Manzanita Lane and Dant Boulevard, and police officers were going to residences to evacuate residents. An officer went to the house of a panicking Kathy Harrah. The officer told her to take a deep breath and said "you are fairly safe," as she and her two sons, John and Kody, grabbed items and put them into their truck. "I have been watching the fire all night. I didn't know it was going to get this bad," she told the Reno Gazette-Journal before ordering her son to rip a computer out of a wall. The area was thick with smoke that hung over over Manzanita. Flames in the canyon below Manzanita shot up dozens of feet in the air as they hit brush. Go here and here for the story. Map of fire area