20-foot flames in Kings Canyon soaked by rain, homeowners

Rain driven by 25-35 mph winds and homeowners armed with garden hoses soaked 20-foot flames at the base of C Hill tonight.

The fire along a strip of land from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1331 McKay Drive, to Crane Court, was mostly out by 8:30 p.m., according to Carson City Battalion Chief Vince Pirozzi.

Firefighters from Carson City and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic District are on scene.

The church was evacuated, and plans to evacuate homes were nearly carried out before the rain began in earnest and crews were able to gain control of the fire.

"I opened the door to a neighbor yelling and a 5-foot flame. My first thought was 'Not again' because I was in the Kingsbury fire," said homeowner Bryan Chowanski. "I was on the roof putting out sections of the fence, then parts of the brush began to catch. I was spraying back and forth just trying to knock it down."

Firefighters from Carson City and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic District responded to the fire, which started just before 8 p.m. Crews were aided by driving rain that doused the area shortly after the fire started.

"It started in the field, and these winds just whipped it into a long stretch behind the houses. The rain has really helped knock it down pretty quickly," Pirozzi said.

A wind advisory from the National Weather Service in Reno was in effect until 4 a.m. today. Winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph were expected until rain moved into the area.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.