Fire investigators say a construction worker accidentally started a wildland blaze that charred nearly a square mile of mostly grass and brush in the Steamboat area south of Reno last month.

No homes were damaged or injuries reported in the fire that was fully contained three days after it broke out on June 16.

Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue investigators determined the human-caused fire was accidental and the person responsible will not be liable for any damage or costs incurred fighting the fire.

District spokesman Adam Mayberry said the worker was cutting cinderblocks and inadvertently hit a reinforcement bar, which sparked the blaze.

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The nearly 530-acre Petrilla Fire burning south of Reno is now fully contained, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue said Saturday. 

The incident remains under investigation. 

All evacuations have since been lifted. Those who live in the Rhodes Road, Cheyenne Drive, and the Redfield Campus areas are either home or can return to their homes. For many of those who live in those areas, this was a frightening time.

As air crews bombarded the countryside with water drops and fire retardant, local resident Matt Vallet was overcome by the sight of the Petrilla Fire. “It was a solid wall of flames along the ridge line. I would say it was about 10 to 15 feet tall. It was surreal. Just seeing the house we started to build our life around and seeing the flames growing behind it. It was not something I want to relive again for sure,” said Vallet who lives on Cheyenne Drive near the site of the fire.

Fire crews methodically worked the fire lines, spraying the ground until they were able to stop the spread. Air support helped get them to that point. “I saw planes flying in that dumped fire retardant next to a house that was about to go down in flames,” said Vallet. “What really spread that fire to the north was the wind. That is always the most dangerous ingredient we face when we are fighting a fire,” said Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer Adam Mayberry.

No buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Those who have homes in the areas where there were voluntary evacuations, like Vallet still have homes to go back to Wednesday night. “What the firefighters did in such a short amount of time, was spectacular,” said Vallet.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Crews have stopped forward progress on a wildfire that started near a construction company on Cheyenne Drive near Steamboat Hills. 

Crews will be on scene overnight mopping up.

The Petrilla Fire is estimated at 300 to 350 acres and 35 percent contained at this time. 

Current road conditions: 

  • I-580, US-395A and Mt. Rose Highway all reopened 
  • Intersection of Towne Road at Virginia Street has reopened 

All evacuations have been lifted.

An evacuation center was set up at Damonte Ranch High School. Large animals were able to be evacuated to Fuji Park in Carson City and small animals could go to Washoe County Regional Animal Services. 

There were some buildings threatened, but the fire spread away from the homes towards I-580. No structures have been damaged so far. Protection for a geothermal plant in South Reno was also in place.

Over 4,000 people were without power off I-580 near Wedge Parkway, but power has since been turned back on. There was also an outage in Storey County near the Virginia City Highlands due to damages from the fire.

Air quality reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups like children and older adults and at one point was in unhealthy levels for everyone, likely due to the smoke.  

Two Nevada Army National Guard helicopters and one Nevada Air Guard fire truck were also helping with firefighting efforts, along with multiple other agencies. 

The cause is unknown at this time.