January 20, 2012 10:30 AM PrintText

1 dead, 26 homes destroyed in Nevada fire

(AP) Last Updated 12:38 p.m. ET

RENO, Nevada - A wildfire burning near Reno has destroyed 26 houses, and the charred land increases the possibility of flooding with the start of what could be heavy rains.

Firefighters continued working Friday to hold the line on the fast-moving brush fire that forced more than 10,000 people in Nevada to flee, More than 26 homes have been destroyed.

Police say one body has been found.

CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports fire crews are putting out hotspots across more than 3,000 acres south of Reno. Mark Regan of the Sierra Fire Protection District said Friday morning that the fire was 50 percent contained.

The blaze started shortly after noon Thursday, and about 2,000 people remained under evacuation orders late Thursday, Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said.

Three nearby schools are closed Friday.

With a record 56 days without precipitation in the Reno area, what began as a small brushfire quickly became an inferno driven by 80-mph winds, fueled by a bone-dry landscape. Flames could be seen ten miles away.

The blaze gobbled up homes, choked the air with thick, black smoke, and shut down Highway 395 after visibility dropped to zero.

Fire crews came from across northern Nevada and California to help contain the blaze.

Most of the 10,000 people who had to evacuate have been allowed to return home, but power was knocked out for many. About 200 customers are still without electricity.

Among those who had to evacuate: Vice President Joe Biden, in town to speak to high school students.

The ruins of a home in Pleasant Valley, south of Reno, Nev. smolders as firefighters battle a wind-driven brush fire on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012.

"It's inconceivable that this community has been struck by tragedy again," said Gov. Brian Sandoval, who declared a state of emergency Thursday.

It was not yet known what caused the fire.

Wet weather was forecast Friday, and snow was forecast Friday night. But high winds were expected to continue.

1 dead, 26 homes destroyed in Nevada fire - CBS News