Truckee Meadows Fire: Dangerous, hot-burning blaze in Cold Springs contained

A hot-burning and dangerous blaze in Cold Springs Tuesday evening that claimed multiple outbuildings and threatened three homes is contained, according to the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. 

The fire, which sparked at about 5 p.m. on a 1-acre property near the corner of East Aspen Circle and Cold Springs Road, spread to multiple sheds, a travel trailer and into dense nearby thickets of sagebrush before it was extinguished, according to Adam Mayberry, TMFPD public information officer. 

Those sheds and the travel trailer appear to be a total loss, according to Mayberry, but fire crews were able to save three nearby homes — one on the property and two on parcels directly adjacent. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Mayberry said firefighters had a very difficult time accessing the fire and had to cut through gates and barbed wire to attack the flames. They also had to bring in water tenders because the nearest hydrant was about 1,000 feet away.

"There were a lot of obstacles that we had to overcome with this particular fire," Mayberry said. "It could have been worse; we could have lost several homes." 

There were no reported injuries and the structure appears to be unoccupied, Mayberry added. 

The sheds also appeared to be filled to the brim with objects and other debris, that, when burned, produced thick toxic smoke. Firefighters encountered burning tires, ammunition exploding in the flames and live power lines that fell when a nearby power pole collapsed. 

Fire crews used an engine-mounted "deck gun" to fight the blaze. That deck gun puts out about twice the water volume of a standard hose, Mayberry said. 

Despite still-green vegetation and temperatures that are cresting 90 degrees for the first time this year, Mayberry said residents need to remain vigilant about the region's fire risk. 

With temperatures rapidly approaching summertime levels, he said residents need to clear brush and create defensible space around their homes. 

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Sam Gross is a breaking news reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal who covers wildfires, emergencies and more. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.