Davis Fire burns estimated 4,700 acres in Reno area

>>THIS IS NEWS FOUR AT FOUR. >>AFTER THOSE SIX HOURS IN THE MORNING, WE FIGURED, WELL, THE WORST IS OVER. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE SAW THIS START TO LIGHT UP AGAIN >>RESIDENTS SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES AS THE DAVIS FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN WITH HUNDREDS OF FIREFIGHTERS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO BATTLE THE FLAMES. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU, WITH UPDATED MAPPING NOW SHOWING THE DAVIS FIRE BURNING IN SOUTH RENO AT ROUGHLY 4700 ACRES WITH 0% CONTAINMENT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. I'M SHELBY SHEEHAN. WELCOME TO NEWS FOUR AT FOUR. WELL MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ARE STILL IN PLACE FOR MANY AREAS TONIGHT, INCLUDING NORTH OF THE MOUNT ROSE HIGHWAY, THE MOUNT ROSE SKI RESORT, SKY TAVERN, THE GALENA TERRACE AND LOGAN MEADOWS AREAS. PEOPLE LIVING IN MONTROSE SAINT JAMES VILLAGE, ARROWCREEK AND SADDLEHORN ARE UNDER EVACUATIONS AS WELL IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING THE VIRGINIA CITY HIGHLANDS EVACUATION WARNING HAS BEEN LIFTED. THERE'S AN EVACUATION CENTER SET UP AT THE WASHOE COUNTY SENIOR CENTER ON EAST NINTH STREET. LARGE ANIMALS CAN BE TAKEN TO THE UNR EQUESTRIAN CENTER ON VALLEY ROAD. WELL, HERE'S A LIVE LOOK FROM THE MOUNT ROSE HIGHWAY, WHICH REMAINS CLOSED THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO THE FIRE. YOU CAN SEE THAT HUGE PLUME OF SMOKE IN THE BACKGROUND THERE. THE HIGHWAY IS CLOSED BETWEEN THOMAS CREEK ROAD AND INCLINE LAKE ROAD THE I-580 RAMPS TO MOUNT ROSE HIGHWAY ARE CLOSED AS WELL. OLD U.S. HIGHWAY 395 IS OPEN FROM RENO TO EAST LAKE BOULEVARD, BUT THE ROAD IS CLOSED FROM EAST LAKE BOULEVARD TO THE BOWERS MANSION INTERCHANGE. WELL, IN OUR TEAM COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON, NEWS FOUR'S JOE HART IS TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT GOES INTO INVESTIGATING A WILDFIRE WHILE OUR ANTHONY RAMOS IS TALKING TO A FAMILY WHO HAS LOST THEIR HOME IN THE DAVIS FIRE. JOE NOW JOINS US LIVE FROM THE INCIDENT COMMAND POST AT GALENA HIGH SCHOOL, WITH MORE ON HOW A CAUSE IS BEING FIGURED OUT. JOE >>WELL, SHELBY, THIS IS A ROUND THE CLOCK EFFORT AS THE FIREFIGHT CONTINUES AND THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE US HERE IN THE GALENA AREA TO TRY TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS FIRE. BUT THE EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT WHO OR WHAT SPARKED THIS BLAZE IS ALREADY MOVING AHEAD. NOW, KEEP IN MIND, WILDLAND FIRE INVESTIGATIONS CAN BE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST TO SOLVE BECAUSE YOU'RE TYPICALLY WORKING WITH SUCH A LARGE AREA. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, WE ALREADY KNOW THIS FIRE STARTED IN THE DAVIS CREEK CAMPGROUND AREA IN WASHOE VALLEY, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SENT IN PHOTOS AND VIDEO TO NEWS FOUR OF THE FIRE IN ITS EARLY STAGES. SOME OF THOSE PICTURES MAY HELP WITH THIS INVESTIGATION. IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE A MATTER OF PHOTOS AND ANY EYEWITNESSES POINTING INVESTIGATORS TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THIS FIRE. >>WE RELY ON A LOT OF WITNESSES THAT WERE ON SCENE. WE CERTAINLY RELY ON WHAT WE'RE YOU KNOW, WHAT WE GET FROM DISPATCH, WE RELY ON IF THERE'S ANY, MAYBE IT'S RING CAMERAS OR FIRE CAMERAS OR OTHER MEANS TO REALLY IDENTIFY THE THE INITIAL SMOKE COLUMNS THIS FIRE MIGHT CONTINUE. >>SO OFFICIALS DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OR IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES, YOU'RE URGED TO REACH OUT TO THE TRUCKEE MEADOWS FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. THERE'S THE NUMBER ON THE SCREEN. 775326 6000. AND YOU NEVER KNOW THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW MIGHT HAVE THAT COULD BE HELPFUL AS INVESTIGATORS WORK TO SOLVE THIS PUZZLE AS TO HOW THIS FIRE STARTED AND ONE ADDITIONAL NOTE AT THIS HOUR, WE HAVE LEARNED FROM OFFICIALS HERE AT THE COMMAND POST, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT. IT WILL BE AT DAPOLI MIDDLE SCHOOL STARTING AT 7:00. AND THAT WILL BE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND GIVE OUT THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRE SO THAT'S WHERE THINGS STAND HERE AT THE INCIDENT COMMAND POST AT GALENA HIGH SCHOOL. I'M JOE HART REPORTING LIVE. SHELBY, BACK TO YOU. >>ALL RIGHT JOE THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT REPORT. WELL, MANY WASHOE VALLEY RESIDENTS WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THAT FAST MOVING FIRE THAT SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE. NEWS FOUR'S ANTHONY RAMOS SPOKE TO TWO PEOPLE TODAY WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY UPROOTED BY THE DEVASTATION. THERE ANTHONY >>YEAH. SHELBY. WELL, THE TWO VICTIMS THAT I SPOKE TO TODAY LOST THEIR ENTIRE WAYS OF LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS FIRE BURNING RIGHT OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER. THEY DIDN'T JUST LOSE THEIR HOUSES. THEY LOST THEIR HOMES. NOW, OF COURSE, THAT FIRE STARTED ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. BUT BECAUSE OF GUSTY CONDITIONS, THAT FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD. THEY COULDN'T EVEN GRAB BELONGINGS OUT OF THEIR HOMES. NOW, ONE OF THOSE VICTIMS, AARON SIMS WAS CELEBRATING PRIDE IN RENO WHEN HE GOT WORD FROM RELATIVES THAT THEY NEEDED TO EVACUATE. NOW, THANKFULLY, THE SEVEN PEOPLE THAT WERE LIVING INSIDE OF HIS HOUSE DID MAKE IT OUT OKAY. ANOTHER VICTIM I SPOKE TO HANNAH HUBER, SAYS THAT SHE ONLY HAD ABOUT 90 MINUTES TO GRAB A COUPLE OF BELONGINGS AND GET THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT WERE IN HER HOME OUT SAFETY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR IT, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN AERIAL ATTACK THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NEXT TO US. THEY ARE GRABBING WATER FROM LAKE WASHOE HERE, BUT, AS FAR AS THE VICTIMS TODAY, THEY'RE BOTH STILL TRYING TO PROCESS HAVING TO PRETTY MUCH START THEIR LIVES COMPLETELY FROM SCRATCH. HUBER SAYS IT'S TAKING BOTH A MENTAL AND A PHYSICAL TOLL. >>IT'S BEEN THE LONGEST 48 HOURS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE SLEEP. THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE FOOD INTAKE AND IT'S JUST IT'S VERY SURREAL IT'S THE ONLY WORD I CAN COME UP WITH IS SURREAL. WE'RE LITERALLY STARTING FROM SCRATCH. WE HAVE NOTHING >>YEAH. AND AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW CREWS ARE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THAT FIRE. THEY ARE LOADING WATER FROM WASHOE LAKE INTO ONE OF THOSE BUCKETS. THAT WAY THEY CAN DO ANOTHER AERIAL DROP. THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS ALL DAY, EVEN INTO THE NIGHT HOURS. LAST NIGHT, AS OUR REPORTER, ELIZABETH MITCHELL, WAS DOING LIVE HITS FOR US AT 11:00, WHICH IS KIND OF RARE FOR THEM TO BE DOING THAT SO LATE. BUT COMING UP TONIGHT AT 5:00, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE VICTIMS WHO I SPOKE TO ABOUT HOW HIS FAMILY IS COPING WITH THE DESTRUCTION JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THAT FIRE STARTED. FOR NOW, REPORTING IN WASHOE VALLEY ANTHONY RAMOS, NEWS FOUR. ALL RIGHT. >>THANK YOU ANTHONY. WELL, LIGHTER WINDS TODAY BUT THEY'RE SET TO PICK BACK UP TOMORROW WITH A RED FLAG WARNING IN PLACE. LET'S CHECK IN NOW WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST MATT MONROE WHO'S GOT THE DETAILS ON OUR VERY IMPORTANT FORECAST RIGHT NOW. >>MATT. YES, SHELBY. I'M VERY CONCERNED VERY WORRIED ABOUT THIS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THE WINDS ARE GUSTING TOMORROW ABOUT 30. THEY'RE GUSTING EVEN STRONGER ON WEDNESDAY. UP TO 40MPH. SO THIS FIRE IS STILL GOING EVEN WITH LIGHT WINDS TODAY. I FEAR THINGS MIGHT GET A LOT WORSE HERE IN THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS. THERE ARE THE CURRENT WINDS. THOSE ARE SUSTAINED EIGHT HERE. THERE ARE SOME BIGGER PUFFS OF WIND OFF TO THE SOUTH AND WE'RE AGAIN TAKING THE WINDS AND KIND OF PUSHING IT OVER AND THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS INTO CANYONS WHERE THAT FIRE IS SO VERY CONCEIVABLE. WE'RE STILL GETTING WINDS 20, 25MPH. THE MAJORITY OF THE SMOKE RIGHT NOW IS TO THE SOUTH OF MCCARRAN. AND ACTUALLY TO THE SOUTH OF DAMONTE RANCH. THAT COULD CHANGE A LITTLE BIT BY 11:00 TONIGHT. YOU SEE THAT PLUME BENDING MORE TO THE NORTH. IT WILL SCOUR OUT AS THE FIRE LAYS DOWN AFTER MIDNIGHT. AND THEN TOMORROW, HERE COME THE WINDS. AND THAT PLUME GOES ALL THE WAY EAST INTO FERNLEY. WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THE WIND FORECAST COMING UP IN BIG WEATHER. AND THOSE RED FLAG WARNINGS. SHELBY. >>ALL RIGHT THANK YOU MATT. WELL, NV ENERGY SAID THIS FIRE IS QUOTE CONCERNING BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION WHERE IT STARTED AND WHERE IT SEEMS TO BE MOVING BECAUSE OF THAT, THE COMPANY HAD TO CUT POWER TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. AT THE PEAK, 17,000 PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT POWER SATURDAY NIGHT. ONE REASON FOR THE OUTAGE AND THE ENERGY SAID 17 POWER POLES BURNED IN OLD WASHOE CITY AND OTHER LINES, AND EQUIPMENT WERE ALSO DAMAGED IN PARTS OF WASHOE VALLEY. THE COMPANY ALSO CHOSE TO DE-ENERGIZE ONE OF THEIR LARGE SUBSTATIONS NEAR MOUNT ROSE HIGHWAY AND INTERSTATE 580. AND IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AN EVACUATION AREA, A NUMBER OF RENO-SPARKS HOTELS AND CASINOS ARE OFFERING DISCOUNTED RATES FOR PEOPLE DISPLACED BY THE FIRE. EVACUEES CAN STAY AT THE EL DORADO CIRCUS-CIRCUS OR SILVER LEGACY FOR $59, AND A COMPLIMENTARY RESORT FEE. NOW, THE NUGGET CASINO IN SPARKS IS ALSO OFFERING DISCOUNTED ROOMS. GUESTS SHOULD ASK FOR AN EVACUEE RATE WHEN CHECKING IN AND WILL NEED TO SHOW A VALID ID. OTHER DISCOUNTED HOTELS INCLUDE EXTENDED STAY AMERICA, THE SURESTAY AND J RESORT. YOU CAN ALSO FIND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL IN OTHER NEWS TODAY, RENO POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR TWO SUSPECTS IN A DEADLY STABBING THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THERE'S NOW A $1,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO AN ARREST. THE TWO SUSPECTS ARE 37 YEAR OLD CRYSTAL AYERS, WHO YOU SEE THERE AND 48 YEAR OLD JIMMY MURPHY. THESE ARE PICTURES OF THEM. THE STABBING HAPPENED A LITTLE AFTER 1230 YESTERDAY ON EAST MONA LANE NEAR THE RENO TAHOE AIRPORT. POLICE SAY A MAN WAS STABBED DURING AN ARGUMENT. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE LATER DIED. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS CASE, CALL RPD OR SECRET WITNESS. A 12 YEAR OLD HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY POSTING THREATS OF VIOLENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TOWARDS SEVERAL LOCAL SCHOOLS HERE IN WASHOE COUNTY. IT'S BELIEVED THE STUDENT UPLOADED MULTIPLE POSTS SHOWING WEAPONS AND TAGGING MULTIPLE SCHOOLS IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE POSTS. SCHOOL POLICE SAY THAT THEY LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION AND COLLABORATED WITH THE FBI TO ARREST THE STUDENT. THE STUDENT IS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF MAKING THREATS OR CONVEYING FALSE INFORMATION CONCERNING ACTS OF TERRORISM WHICH IS A FERNLEY. WE'LL HEAR FROM SCHOOL OFFICIALS COMING UP TONIGHT ON NEWS FOUR AT FIVE. THE HARRIS WALLS CAMPAIGN HAS POSTPONED. GOVERNOR TIM WALZ IS SCHEDULED RALLY IN RENO TODAY WILL BE HERE FOR. OR HE WILL BE HERE FOR PRIVATE CAMPAIGN STOPS, BUT NOTHING AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE DECISION COMES AS CREWS CONTINUE