Children playing with fireworks could be to blame for an S Hill brush fire Monday that was nipped in the bud before it could reach nearby homes, an official said.
Fire Chief Richard Chrzanowski credited the quick response by Carson City and Bureau of Land Management firefighters for knocking out the 11:15 a.m. blaze near the water tower at the end of Koontz Lane. By 11:50 a.m., it was contained.
"This is the thing we dread," he said of fireworks, which are outlawed in Carson City and most of Northern Nevada. "We were very lucky to keep it at half an acre. The situation for it to get out of hand was prime. Thankfully, we got to it very fast."
Chrzanowski said evidence at the scene pointed to fireworks and a witness was able to give a description of three boys seen playing near the area prior to the flames.
"This is just a bad time of year and people have to be careful," he said.
Under Nevada law, a person who starts a fire could be held legally responsible for the costs of fighting the fire, Chrzanowski said.
He said if the culprit is a juvenile, the parents could be held responsible for the costs.
"If the cost is significant (in a manmade fire), we'd like to not burden the citizens like that if at all possible," he explained.
• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.