Brush fire burns about 3 acres south of Reno

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Dozens of firefighters were on the scene and aircraft was on the way Tuesday to help fight a small brush fire burning in Pleasant Valley south of Reno.

The fire broke out about 12:45 p.m. near a construction site and had burned about three acres near U.S. Highway 395, fire officials said. A large plume of smoke was visible from downtown Reno about 15 miles to the north.

Fire spokesman Steve Frady said there were some homes and other structures in the area, including a horse stable, but none faced any immediate danger. The fire was on a rocky slope with moderate to heavy brush, he said.

"There is some active fire but there are some areas where it has laid down pretty good too," Frady said Tuesday afternoon.

"The aircraft was ordered in to the rocky remote area where it is difficult to get equipment in," he said. He said winds from the south were gusting at 5 mph to 10 mph "but that's not really causing a problem."

The fire was near the site where crews are constructing a bridge for a highway bypass project. U.S. Highway 395 remained open in both directions.