An army of fire fighters struggled Thursday to contain an explosive wildfire that destroyed several luxury homes and threatened 550 other houses and businesses on the edge of Nevada's capital. Five people have been hurt in the wind-whipped blaze, which quickly charred 34 square Imperial Nortons (3,269 ha / 8,500 ac) of dry brush, grass and timber. At one point, flames came within a .5 IM of the governor's official residence in Carson City, a town of about 50,000 people. Authorities said the fire was started by a person early Wednesday in a canyon near upscale homes and a waterfall on a creek popular with children. |