Washoe Drive Fire: 1 dead, 3,700 acres burned, more than 20 structures lost

View Washoe Drive Fire (1/19/2012) in a larger map

UPDATE 10PM: Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said tonight the Washoe Drive Fire has consumed and estimated 3,700 acres, burned at least 20 structures and has resulted in one fatality.
Hernandez would not go into details of how the person died. He said the 250+ firefighters on the scene have stopped the forward progress of the fire. He said the fire started in the East Lake area, and then followed the Highway 395 corridor north, where it was stopped just south of Galena High School.

Highway 395 will be closed until further notice due to damage to debris and damage to guard rails, power poles and other item near the roadway. Gov. Brian Sandoval told state workers who commute by this route to stay home Friday. Evacuations have been lifted for the Galena area. About 2,000 people are still unable to go back to their homes tonight.
Hernandez said firefighters saved more than 800 homes that were in the path of this destructive fire.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
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UPDATE 9PM: Reno Fire officials report forward progress on Washoe Drive fire has stopped. Fire behavior is moderating due to diminishing winds, lowering termperatures and increasing humidity/moisture moving over the Sierra Nevada/Carson Range. Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 10,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.

U.S. Highway-395 remains closed between 1.8 miles north of Carson City to the Junction of SR 341/431 (Mt. Rose Junction) in south Reno. U.S. Highway 395 could remained closed on Friday (1/20) through the morning commute - make alternate plans.
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At 4:40 pm Thursday, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.”
Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.

More below the fold.

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Highway 395 has been shut down through Washoe Valley this afternoon as a brush fire continues to rage out of control consuming several homes. The Washoe Drive Fire is north of Washoe Lake and into Pleasant Valley and is being fueled and driven by high winds. Neighborhoods threatened in the fire include Pagni Lane, Anes Lane, Washoe Drive, Carriage Drive and St. James Place, near St. James Village. The Callahan Ranch Road area is now being evacuated as of 4:30pm. Galena Country Estates.

Washoe County Manager Katy Simon has declared an official emergency for Washoe County as a wildfire burns in the northern Washoe Valley area. At 3 pm, in response to the severity of the fire, Simon declared the emergency, which allows the county to apply for reimbursement for costs related to the fire and request additional resources as appropriate.
A press conference is being scheduled for 5pm at Galena High School.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports several structures have burned. Firefighters throughout the region have been called including from Lake Tahoe, Carson City and Reno. The fire, which was reported at about 12:45 this afternoon, reportedly jumped Highway 395.

Go here for the latest from Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center. According to spokeswoman Helen Frazier, more fire agencies are being called in because several structures remained threatened. The primary fire agency is Washoe County.

Gov. Brian Sandoval Tweeted the following: Due to the fire in Washoe Valley, I have authorized early release @ 4pm for state employees who travel through Washoe Valley

Congressman Mark Amodei's (NV-2) Reno and Washington, D.C. offices are in contact with the Governor's emergency operations team and are reaching out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in response to the wildfire in Pleasant Valley and Washoe Valley. Amodei is in the process of returning to the area to assess the situation on the ground.

For official information regarding the fire, citizens should go to www.washoecounty.us and follow @washoesheriff and @washoecounty, and @cityofreno on Twitter for the latest official information.