As the Loyalton Fire threatened to push into Nevada over the weekend, firefighters were ready. A Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue crew was at the Agricultural Station near the California border when the fire crossed Highway 395 in two spots, stranding drivers in between.
"When it came through, it trapped a number people that were traveling through there," said Chief Charles Moore. "But fortunately we had a brush engine to be able to protect them."
At the same time, evacuations were in place in the Cold Springs area.
"We had great cooperation from people there," Moore said. "A lot of time people don't move until they see fire, but just because you don't see fire doesn't mean it's not advancing toward your home. You need to be ready to evacuate when we put that advisory out."
The Incident Command team was meeting near Bordertown around that time. That's where Moore met Rico, a dog who had lost his family in the midst of all of this.
"He was a little panicked, and it was pretty close to a busy highway," Moore said. "So luckily, Rico was amenable to me picking him up and putting him in my truck for a little bit."
He was reunited with his family and seems very appreciative of the firefighting efforts in the area.
"There's nothing like a big, wet kiss from a dog that seems to take some of the stress away," Moore said. "So I made a new friend."
So far, the fire hasn't hit any buildings in Nevada, but full containment isn't expected for weeks, and residents should stay ready.
"There have been a lot of close calls, but we are not out of the woods yet," Moore said.
