Fire with potential knocked out in a flash

A Washoe Valley fire that threatened St. James Village Homes, was quickly extinguished at five acres thanks to the weather and ready resources.

"The winds were fairly light in the area, which was fortunate. And the availability of the aircraft also was fortunate, this was the only incident in the area at the time," said Mindy Stevenson, Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center manager.

The Corey fire began about 2 p.m. and was contained by 5 p.m.

Initially estimated at 20 acres, the official count became five acres, once the flames were beat down.

Stevenson said Nevada Division of Forestry Fire Chief Mike Klug also credited a homeowner's diligence with saving several of the homes. The man had created a firebreak around his home by reducing and trimming the vegetation making it easier for crews to catch the blaze.

"Firemen were able to deploy their units and secure the fire threat as a direct result of this homeowner's fire prevention activities. Other homes in the area were more secure because of this homeowner's efforts," Dispatcher Helen Frazier wrote on the agencies' Web site.

Frazier went on to urge people to do the same.

The fire, the cause of which was unclear, burned in bitterbrush, sagebrush, grass, heavy brush and timber.

Agencies that responded were the Nevada Division of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Reno Fire, Incline Fire, Nevada Highway Patrol, Washoe County Sheriff's Department, Carson City Fire Department and the Red Cross.

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.