By Trenton Smith Posted December 1, 2011
At this time one really knows when the recent Caughlin Fire in Reno, NV, started. All anybody really knows is that up to 2,000 acres have been burned and millions of dollars worth of property damage has been done. The fire has also claimed 25 houses destroyed and a 74-year-old man died of a heart attack during the evacuation.
In a press statement released November 18, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) said, “My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has lost their homes. My staff is closely monitoring the situation and I have directed them to reach out to Mayor Cashell, Governor Sandoval, and first responders to provide whatever assistance we can,” regarding the fire.
Also from Senator Heller’s site (http://heller.senate.gov), there was an article saying that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared the fire a “Major Disaster.” This decision makes the area eligible for assistance “mitigation, management and control of burning on publicly or privately owned land,” according to the press release.
“I’m grateful that FEMA was able to react so quickly to the Governor’s request. FEMA’s assistance is a welcome contribution to the ongoing efforts for containing this tragic fire. I and my staff will continue to monitor the situation and assist in any we can to help direct federal resources to the region,” said Senator Heller.
