RENO, Nev. (AP) - A vacant house in northwest Reno has been
destroyed in a fire that also spread to a neighboring home before
firefighters put out the blaze.

"Saw it,” Mike Williamson said, “Came out--- it was unbelievable. Both homes look like they were destroyed."

Reno Fire Battalion Chief Dana Tucker says the hot weather and
high winds likely contributed to the fire that broke out shortly
after 3 p.m. No one was hurt.

The owner of the second home, Mike Branson, says the resident of
the other home recently moved out or was in the process of doing
so. He says his other neighbor telephoned him to tell him his roof
was on fire.

"Took about 15 minutes for both homes to be engulfed,” Williamson said. “They went really fast."

Branson says fire officials told him his house likely was
salvageable because of his quick response.

"The fire started in one structure,” Chief Tucker said, “Spread to the second caught it on fire. We had to have a third alarm, five engines, two trucks to get it under control."

During the firefight, some neighbors pulled out garden hoses to protect their property. Others went to save things a little more precious, their pets.

"He (his pet) was in the backyard,” Shaun Fox said. “He was in the basement, because he jumps the fence."

Plumes of smoke filled the air surrounding the West Seventh Street neighborhood. Once the smoky skies cleared up, the cleanup started.

While the cause of the fire has not been determined, neighbors say prior to the homes going up in flames, they saw a tree on fire in the backyard of one of those homes.