Reno is on fire.

[Kyle Weiss]

Something sparked a blaze early this morning and they're having a very bad time trying to get it together. It's been a rough year for my town, with the Air Races tragedy that killed 9 people, the stupid biker war in Sparks during our Street Vibrations event... Reno needs a break!

So far, 20+ homes are gone and 450+ acres are burning and counting. Zero percent containment...terrain is rough up there.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20111118/NEWS/311180001/Caughlin-Fire-has-destroyed-20-homes-new-evacuation-center-Galena-High-Reno-Washoe-County-declare-state-emergency?odyssey=nav|head

My father lives near the fires, but he says it's not coming his direction, thankfully. The 65 mph winds we're getting (not unusual for here) aren't helping, and there's a lot of dry brush and trees in that particular area.

All I have to do is complain that I'm gonna go smoke a pipe in my truck... :lol: TOO WINDY! 8)

 

[MisterE]

Looks to be kind of southwest of downtown. I used to live in that area near the Old Town Mall. Hope they get it under control quickly!!

Stay safe man!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Sort of in the Skyline/Caughlin area on the south west leg of McCarran Boulevard.

 

[dshpipes]

Yikes!

I do have to say how much I appreciate the comedy here. A threatening fire blazes just outside of town while a comforting fire blazes in your pipe. Also funny to me is that the wind is feeding the threatening fire and threatening to extinguish the comforting one!

Despite the hilarity, I hope everyone's ok and that it gets under control quickly. Stay safe and keep that pipe out of trouble!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Yikes!

I do have to say how much I appreciate the comedy here. A threatening fire blazes just outside of town while a comforting fire blazes in your pipe. Also funny to me is that the wind is feeding the threatening fire and threatening to extinguish the comforting one!

Despite the hilarity, I hope everyone's ok and that it gets under control quickly. Stay safe and keep that pipe out of trouble!

No, really, there's plenty of irony here. I'm currently in my truck outside my apartment, listening to music, piping away, kind of zen--being rocked by the wind in a capsule--it's kind of surreal.

It is what it is, they probably won't get it contained for some time. Nevada is very wildfire-prone. It's dry, there's tons of stuff to burn (believe it or not) and people's houses in the path of disaster certainly isn't helping much. One friend has been accounted for and is safe, and prayers and godspeed to those risking their lives to deal with it...

...not much I can do, really. Nevadans as a whole aren't predisposed to hysteria, they're usually rational and willing to help...not always smart, but willing to help... :lol:

 

[Harlock999]

Doesn't bode well for California...

 

[loneredtree]

PM sent.

 

[IronKnight]

Best of luck to ya buddy. I live in Upshur County in Texas and my house was almost destroyed by the fire that burned 2500 acres! They had road blocks on either side of my house, ironicly it was the last house you could get to, they evacuated my "neighbors" about 1/2 a mile down the road, never once evacuated us. I was a tad bit worried when I woke up at 3 a.m. and there was no emergency vehicles and no one had been let back in their houses. Apparently they pulled back because the fire was burning right in our direction, never once told me. Glad to see my tax dollars work so well.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Latest news is 21 structures severely damaged or destroyed, one poor older guy dead (74) from a heart attack due to the evacuation, and about a dozen with minor smoke inhalation injuries. The fire is mostly under containment and control, as the winds that bellowed the fire into a hellish inferno have died down and a little snow and rain quenched the flames. Fire fighters couldn't launch planes or aircraft due to the winds to help fight the fires, but saved probably more than 4,000 homes by 400+ guys on the ground in 60+mph winds making fire lines. What a great job they did!

The part that sucks is that some of the country roads that many of those houses were on were BEAUTIFUL. Last year I rode my scooter through them frequently to avoid the traffic... it's gonna look a little different up there for a long time. That's a loss for everyone, even if they didn't directly have fire damage.

Poor Reno... she really needs a break.