Midnight fire engulfs house under construction

A house under construction in a southeast neighborhood of Carson City went up in flames early today.

The three-story structure on Conte Drive near Bennett Ave. was fully engulfed when neighbors reported the fire to 911 at 12:28 a.m.

The flames and smoke visible from across Carson City prompted 70 calls to the emergency number.

"By the time we got the calls the entire structure was absolutely fully engulfed," Sheriff Kenny Furlong said at the scene early today.

The active flame fueled by its Styrofoam construction spread to nearby brush and threatened neighboring homes prompting some evacuations.

"The Styrofoam construction is one of the reasons it got going so fast," Fire Chief Stacey Giomi said of the petroleum-based product. "That and the exposed wood has absolutely no protection."

Valerie Belknap, a resident on South Edmunds behind the burned structure, was on her way to bed when she smelled something like buring wires. Going to the back of the house it got really bad.

"I realized something was really wrong."

She called 911 and went out to roust neighbors from their homes, including Debbie and Jim Ohi, whose South Edmunds home was behind the burning building.

"Our neighbor next door was pounding on the door screaming 'get out, get out,'" Debbie Ohi said. "We didn't know what was going on. I opened a window and said 'Oh my gosh.'"

She said even from inside their house, they could feel the heat of the flames.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire before it reached any other structures. The cause of the fire is under investigation.