City to release report on fire response

Carson City will release a detailed fire-response time line and explain the emergency response to the Waterfall fire Tuesday in a special edition of its Capital City Focus publication.

City officials decided to release the report directly to the public using its own explanation, instead of issuing it to the media. The special edition will be inserted into Tuesday's edition of the Nevada Appeal.

"We promised the community we would put together a timeline," said Liz Teixeira, administrative assistant. "It's basically a report to the community."

The tabloid report will include the city's description of how the fire started, when and why. It will also include information on rehabilitation and defensible-space practices.

Several details remain to be clarified in the early morning incident, and the response has concerned some residents.

The time line will report minute-by-minute actions taken during fire's first day by the Carson City Fire Department, Nevada Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service. It will also list what types of aircraft responded, with their arrival times.

USFS Carson District Ranger Gary Schiff told residents in community meetings during the incident that the fire moved quickly after exploding inside Kings Canyon. One resident said it took only 13 minutes for the fire to go from the canyon explosion to his property.

According to early reports, nine federal and state engines were on the fire between 3:15 and 6:30 a.m. Half of those were hand crews who hiked in; the other half began laying hoses. Two hand crews were ordered at 3:38 a.m., but didn't arrive until 3:50 a.m.

The fire was reported by a sheriff's deputy at 2:57 a.m., according to the sheriff's dispatch. Acting Carson City Fire Chief Stacey Giomi said city engines were in the vicinity within 5 to 7 minutes.

The area, however, was steep and inaccessible. Crews faced extreme danger as they watched fire jump from treetop to treetop in explosive fury, Giomi said. It is not yet determined if any firefighters began to walk in at that time.

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.