WINNEMUCCA — A thick plume of black smoke hovered over the Rose Creek area Christmas morning due to a diesel-fuel fire.  Dispatched to a possible car fire shortly after 10 a.m., Winnemucca Rural Fire Department firefighters arrived on scene where they discovered a pool of diesel fuel dumped by the side of the road had somehow ignited.  The firefighters decided to let the fuel burn and even added brush to help it along.  Assistant Fire Chief Torrey Sheen explained they were reluctant to dump water on the fire because it would just cause the fuel to sink into the ground.  The fuel was dumped near the Conservation Rd. turn-off, but how it got there and what ignited it remains a mystery.   

SPJ sends our appreciation and the appreciation of the community to all those on duty over the Holiday, including those who are on stand-by, ready to respond in a moment’s notice to whatever emergency arises.  These include but are not limited to:  The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Dispatchers manning the 911 lines – who never get the appreciation or the recognition they deserve, the Winnemucca Volunteer Fire Department, the Winnemucca Rural Fire Department, the deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the officers from the Winnemucca Police Department, the troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol, and the staff of Humboldt General Hospital – including EMS.  Thank you.