GARDNERVILLE - A fiery two-vehicle crash on U.S. 395 killed two people and sparked a brush fire Sunday in Douglas County, authorities said.
The Nevada Highway Patrol said the late afternoon accident involving a truck rig and another vehicle five miles south of Gardnerville also shut down a section of the highway.
According to police scanner reports, the highway was expected to remain closed until at least 10:30 p.m.
The victims' names and details of the accident were not immediately released.
The wildfire scorched from two to five acres and threatened several homes at one time, said Helen Frazier of the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center in Minden.
"They were able to stop the spread of the fire toward the homes and they're no longer threatened," Frazier said Sunday evening.
Two air tankers and a helicopter were assisting firefighters on the ground in trying to contain it.
More than 35 firefighters responded to the scene. The fire burned on both sides of the highway and to within a quarter mile of some homes, Frazier said.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
