RENO -- About 40 firefighters and a dozen fire trucks battled a three-alarm fire at a wooden pallet company Monday, snarling traffic before bringing the 100-foot high flames under control.
The fire broke out about 2:30 p.m. in a one-acre storage yard at the Reno Pallet Co. just east of downtown near Second Street and Giroux.
Fire crews were expected to remain on the scene to douse hot spots through the night and traffic was likely to be rerouted through the morning rush hour, city spokesman Steve Frady said Monday evening.
The flames grew as large as 100-feet high, knocking down some power and telephone lines and snarling traffic in the area around the Washoe Medical Center and the Reno Gazette-Journal. A huge plume of smoke could be seen for miles.
The flames leaped from the one-acre lot onto the roof of the building at one point, but firefighters appeared to have it mostly under control late Monday afternoon.
A total of 18 pieces of heavy equipment were on the scene at one time, including three ladder trucks and seven fire engines.
The pallets were estimated to include about $30,000 worth of lumber.
There were no reports of injuries. The cause remained under investigation.
