Chris CiarloChannel 2 News
City officials held a press conference Monday to discuss their response time for the Caughlin Fire and if budget cuts impacted their ability to get the blaze under control.
Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said the first call came in at 12:22am on Friday. He said the first engine deployed from the Mayberry station arrived eight minutes later at 12:30am.
"It was off road and it was not accessible by any vehicle," said Hernandez. "Crews literally had to walk down into the canyon, ravine area to where this fire was growing."
Firefighters said they have ruled out a couple of ways this blaze could have started.
While the investigation is far from over, they have reason to believe electrical power lines were arcing, due to high wind conditions.
Hernandez said budget cuts and the elimination of the Skyline station did not affect their response time. "This fire quickly grew. It was an erratic fire and whether that station was staffed or not, would not have made an impact on the overall outcome of the fire."
Hernandez said the city will soon receive some financial relief. He said the city has received a grant that will help offset 75% of the fire's cost.
