Wind-whipped wildfire near Reno prompts evacuations but rain begins falling as crews arrive

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Authorities in Nevada ordered evacuations of hundreds of homes southwest of Reno and closed the main highway to Lake Tahoe after a wind-whipped wildfire erupted Monday and spread quickly through mountainside vegetation.

About 3,000 people were told to leave, but rain began falling as local, state and federal crews arrived to battle the 100-acre (40.5-hectare) blaze dubbed the Callahan Fire, said Adam Mayberry, spokesperson for the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.

No structures were damaged during the first hours of the fire, Mayberry said, and no injuries were reported.

“Winds are very gusty today,” Mayberry told The Associated Press, noting that firefighting aircraft remained grounded by windy weather. “But rain is falling, so that may help.”

As a safety precaution, power company NV Energy reported it cut electricity to about 5,500 customers in an area roughly between Montreux Golf Course, Galena High School and Mount Rose Highway.

Mayberry said the fire was reported just after 10 a.m., and said the cause was not immediately known but would be investigated. He said it was on or near an area charred by a 9-square-mile (23-square-kilometer) wildfire that burned for about a week in September.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said on social media that his office and the Nevada Division of Emergency Management were “fully engaged in assessing and combating” the fire.