Family displaced by Ranchos attic fire

Neighbors have started a fundraiser for a family displaced by an attic fire that rendered their Gardnerville Ranchos home uninhabitable on Monday morning.

East Fork firefighters responded at 11:17 a.m. to the home at 1340 Leonard Road after neighbors called 911.

The fire sent a smoke plume visible from across Carson Valley into the air.

“East Fork Fire units arrived within 4 minutes of dispatch and reported a working fire on the side and rear of the house,” East Fork Chief Alan Ernst said. “Crews initiated an aggressive fire attack from both the exterior and interior. Neighboring homes and vehicles were threatened however, they were saved due to the quick actions by the first arriving crews.”

The American Red Cross was contacted to aid the family and their animals by East Fork.

Four engines, two ambulances and a squad responded to the fire, amounting to around two-dozen personnel. Carson City provided an engine to the scene as did Tahoe Douglas.

Investigators responded to the scene to determine the cause of the fire, which also claimed a vehicle and a tree in the back yard of the home.

There was not estimate of a dollar loss to the home.

It was the third structure fire in two days.

East Fork Fire Investigator Patrick Mooneyhan said a 5:20 p.m. fire in Jacks Valley behind the Target was started by a snow globe left in the sun setting a blanket on fire.

While the house filled with smoke, there was no report of serious damage or injury.

The same can be said of a Sunday morning fire at Coventry Cross in Minden, where an exterior heater failed sending smoke into the church.