Fire narrowly misses suburbs

RENO, Nev. – Officials declared victory Sunday over a wildfire that just missed two upscale subdivisions in the Sierra foothills west of Reno.

The brush fire that had threatened about 50 houses in the developments was fully contained at noon after blackening more than 10 square miles, fire information officer Mark Struble said.

“It could have been a lot worse,” he said. “If the wind had been more out of the northwest, there could have been more flaming among the houses.”

No houses were damaged, but flames came within 100 feet of some houses Friday.

In California, a wildfire raged across about half a square mile of hillside brush in northern Los Angeles County, damaging a power substation and knocking out electricity to at least 4,450 homes. The fire also forced closure of two northbound lanes of Interstate 5.