A wind-stoked fire that erupted early Friday chased thousands of residents from their homes on the outskirts of Reno, as orange flames licked the sky and chewed through 2,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
The Caughlin fire destroyed or damaged 25 homes as 60-mph gusts scattered embers and flooded houses with smoke. A 74-year-old man fleeing his home died of heart failure, officials said, and more than a dozen people were treated for heart and respiratory problems.
A firefighter who suffered first- and second-degree burns was hospitalized.
"People are in a state of shock," said Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who declared a state of emergency. "People woke up last night in the middle of the night with their house full of smoke, to suddenly step out on their deck [and] see flames several feet high."
By midday, fire officials said they had halted the blaze's spread, potentially sparing thousands of homes and clearing the way for nearly 10,000 evacuees to return Saturday.
The cause of the fire, which erupted just after midnight, is under investigation. Fierce, erratic winds — which had already downed power lines and knocked over trees — fanned the conflagration and grounded helicopters.
More than 400 firefighters strained to stay in front of the towering flames, which could be seen from Reno's downtown casinos.
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