With a shovel and a garden hose, Daniel Bartell has been fighting since just after midnight Sunday to save his 10-acre property, 45 animals and the home his wife loves in the North Valleys.
Bartell and his wife, Monique, were among the first Reno-area residents threatened by the Bug Fire, a fast-growing blaze that started Saturday afternoon near the Nevada-California state line and later merged with the Fred Mountain Fire farther to the east. The combined fires have destroyed homes, caused thousands to evacuate and burned more than 66,000 acres.
But the Bartells’ home on Deerlodge Road in Reno is still standing. Some of their neighbors aren’t so lucky…