Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 1

ATUHE ill I THAT IEBI8SPLA! rir iifiTii cuiomiiiiii ancinb oiiEEf Playhouse auction raises funds for builders' charity HOME GARDEN, 1 BEST BETS Online at RGJ.com THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2007 50 cents RED FLAG WARNING n. to dmm ftUair Following the Hawken Fire Fire commanders created an aggressive attack plan. Rough terrain, extremely dry conditions have made their struggle with the Hawken battle. Here are the steps mapped out by fire incident commanders Officials expect control Tuesday Caughlin Ranch now, neighborhoods in the Caughlin Ranch area are not in danger. Firefighters have created fire lines to help protect homes from the blaze.

Crews continue to be stationed at homes abutting the wilderness in case of a sudden change in winds. Current plan Hot shot crews have created lines by hand to cut oft the fire's western movement in the Hunter Creek Canyon area. On the south end of the fire, crews are working to bulldoze a wider fire break. strong winds and Fire a long and tough on Wednesday. terrain from the For I PL iM McCarran Alternative 1 Elite teams fire-suppression crews from New Mexico, Colorado, and Idaho plan to head high up into the wilderness.

They will begin creating fire breaks along the ridges once they receive permission from Mount Rose Wilderness officials. Dozers are to clear areas wide enough to stop the fire's progress if it crosses Hunter Creek. Officials hope to have the line finished later today. If Burning in place I lit jp Unpredictable wind Sporadic winds are caused by the Unpredictable wind Sporadic winds are caused by the h. 4P jsn.

tint move along the side of the mountain range causing unpredictable conditions. A low pressure trough went through Alternative 2 If the fire crosses Hunter Creek, officials say the best ft chance they will have to contain the fire is to create a large fireline on the other side of the Mount Rose Wilderness. A National Weather Service warning is in effect until 10 p.m. today because of strong winds and low fuel moistures. Log on to www.nws.noaa.gov for more information.

TODAY'S UICK BEAD QUAKE DAMAGED PLANT WORSE THAN THOUGHT Japanese officials shut down a damaged nuclear power plant after it was revealed that quake damage is worse than initially announced. NATION WORLD, 8C FBI DOCUMENTS SHOW OLD MOB MURDER PLOT Jailed mobsters from three top Mafia families allegedly hatched a plot in 1979 to murder Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, according to FBI documents. NATION WORLD, 7C SPARKS TO HOST PREP FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT Area high school football teams hope to learn a little more about themselves and build team camaraderie at a 7-on-7 passing tournament at Sparks High on Friday and Saturday. SPORTS, ID ARTOWN TODAY Bruka Theatre of the Sierra presents Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party" at 8 p.m. in its 99 N.Virginia St.

location. The show is not A artown recommended for patrons younger than 16. Tickets: $14 to $20. Details: 323-3221 or www.bruka.org Artown is an arts festival featuring performances every day inuly. For a list of events, go to RGJ.com and click on the Artown Unk under "Todays news links I TODAY ON RGJ.COM SEND YOUR FIRE PHOTOS Send us your photos from the Hawken Fire or other area wildfires at wildfire.

textamerica.com TODAY'S WEATHER High 87 i Low 57 Complete forecast, page 10B LOG ONTO RGJ.COM FOR UPDATES, ROAD CONDITIONS. I INSIDE TODAY Local 1-5A Sports 1-6D Daily Fix 2D Business 8-10A Neighbors 1-6B Crossword 2E Events 3B DearAbby 2E Obituaries 3B TVMovies 6E Voices 4-5B Comics 7E Classifieds 1-10 Lottery 10C Best Bets where the fire is located. Winds come southwest but are disrupted as they brought a dropln temperatures and to 40 mph. Higher temperatures and are expected today. CANDICE TOWELLRENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL areas of the Hawken Fire on BY JEFF DELONG AND MAGGIE O'NEILL RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL 'A dangerous wildfire continued to blaze Wednesday through timber in the mountains southwest of Reno, but containment was expected Tuesday and the immediate threat to homes had diminished.

The Hawken Fire made an aggressive push UJN KUJ. COM Log on to see: Photo on its north west flank galleries by RGJ Wednesday afternoon down the Hunter Creek drainage. About photographers and readers. Videos from the fire. The latest updates.

tuu homes remained on alert into the evening Wednesday due to gusty, erratic winds, but the main flank of the fire was west of most residences. "It's backing down that ridge to the creek itself. That's the concern," said Gary Schiff, a district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. Schiff confirmed Wednesday that the fire was sparked by metal grinding work at a 'Caughlin Ranch construction site.

Forest Service Patrol Capt. Dave Leveille said the cause remains under investigation. The fire was declared 15 percent contained after burning 2,459 acres since 2:30 p.m. Monday, forcing temporary evacuation of homes in Caughlin Ranch. All have returned home.

No injuries or damage to homes have been reported. Officials closed Wednesday an evacuation center at Wooster High School. Firefighting has cost SEE FIRE ON 4 A RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL FILE Mustang Ranch founder Joe Conforte speaks during a television interview in 2003 at his Brazil home. 7 J- INSIDE Gov. Jim Gibbons tours the site of the Hawken Fire and promises to make the Nevada Air Guard available for support.

4A More than two dozen fires have burned through nearly 200 square miles in Northern Nevada. 4A Get tips on how to use defensible space to protect your home. 4A See what the health department advises for smoky conditions. 4A Todays forecast predicts sunny skies, a high in the 80s and light winds from the west. 4A .11 irfl the area Wednesday and increase in wind speed up a decrease in wind speed "It used to be that bedbugs were something that was unique," said Jeff Knight, state entomologist.

"Now, conservatively speaking, I probably get one or two samples a month. So, they have definitely increased." The nationwide problem probably has occurred because of the increase in worldwide travel, he said. SEE BEDBUGS ON 5A out area. Margie Elder of the Reno Fire Department watches the burned Wednesday while looking for hot spots in the Caughlin Ranch NORTHERN NEVADA MOMENTS Washoe health officials warn of bedbug infestation in Reno Ex-brothel owner speaks from Brazil For 16 years, legendary Nevada brothel owner Joe Con-forte has lived in Brazil, a fugitive from tax-evasion charges. The former owner of the state's first legal brothel, Mustang Ranch, east of Sparks, surfaced Wednesday by telephone to help launch the World Famous Mustang Ranch, a $6 million re-creation owned by Northern Nevada developer Lance Gilman.

See full story on page 2 A. HAVE BEDBUGS? If you think you have bedbugs, call State Entomologist Jeff Knight at 688-1182, ext. 245 for an Inspection. Or take a sample to the Reno office at 350 Capitol Hill Ave. bugs found in hotel and motel inspections, the state's entomology expert said the Reno-Sparks area has seen a re-emerging infestation in the past 10 years.

BY GERALDA MILLER gmillertgj.com Washoe County health officials have alerted residents to a bedbug problem at the Courtyard Center Apartments in Reno. Three units were infested with the blood-sucking critters, manager Rhonda Mathews said. While there has not been an increase in the number of bed- For convenient home delivery: 800-970-7366 n- -w i 1 1 mhqrc oksiri W.M mm 2007 Printed on recycled paper iMMiMiiiMMMiMiiiMniiM -ar -w- JU. i nr i i nmMM" PilBADttSTiSEUEW.