Plentiful cheatgrass fuels Northern Nevada wildfire

A fast-growing wildfire roaring through dry, plentiful cheatgrass kept fire crews busy Monday amid heat and high wind in a remote part of Northern Nevada. Flames the size of a four-story building torched nearly 625 square miles of cattle-grazing land and habitat for the imperiled sage grouse near the border with Oregon and Idaho, said Norm Rooker with the fire’s Incident Management Team.

Tall, dry cheatgrass that’s 10 times more plentiful than normal is feeding the blaze, he said. Police are investigating what started the fire and are looking for anyone who was camping in the ranching area on July 4. was found in her burning apartment.

At about 10:30 a.m. Friday, Henderson police and fire officials responded to a fire at an apartment complex at 501 E. Lake Mead Parkway, near Boulder Highway, according to a news release.

Emergency personnel found the woman inside her burning apartment with trauma to her head and face, police said.

She was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital, de Lima campus, where she was pronounced dead.

The Clark County coroner identified her as Donna Mcelfresh and said she died of a gunshot to the head.

Officers found the man, 39, who had been shot. He later died at a hospital. Identification is pending notification of family, the Clark County coroner’s office said.

Police said evidence showed that the shooting happened on the 3300 block of Civic Center after two men got into an argument.