It turns out that the massive wildfire that raged south of Reno was caused by an elderly man improperly dumping fireplace ashes.
On Friday, the "extremely remorseful" man admitted his role by improperly disposing of the ashes at his home, authorities said.
"He came forward on his own accord," Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said. "He has given statements to our investigators as well as law enforcement officers. He is extremely remorseful."
Authorities had already tracked the fire's origin to a location in Washoe Valley, 20 miles south of downtown Reno. The guy, who hasn't been identified yet, may face charges of arson, and may also have to pay the costs of fighting the fire. It's already cost $690,000 so far, but county officials think the final bill could run in the millions. The sheriff will forward the case to the DA on Monday.
On one hand, it's good that he came forward. But on the other hand, the devastation is staggering--according to Governor Brian Sandoval, several areas are literally down to chimneys and fireplaces. I figure at the very least he needs to get the bill for keeping this beast contained, but not so sure about criminal charges.
As of this afternoon, the fire is 100 percent contained. However, rain and snow are on the way, raising concerns about possible flooding in affected areas. Plus, Reno had no rain at all in December--the first time that happened in 128 years. This has made conditions so dry that even a good rain or snow won't be enough to get the area out of danger.
According to state forester Pete Anderson, Reno normally doesn't have to worry about wildfires this far into winter.
An inch of snow Monday ended the longest recorded dry spell in Reno history, a 56-day stretch that prompted Anderson to issue an unusual warning about wildfire threats.
"We're usually pretty much done with the fire season by the first of November, but this year it's been nonstop," Anderson said.
Anderson's lived in Nevada since 1968, and has never seen conditions this dangerous before. Looks like this is going to be a long, long winter in Nevada.