20 January 2012 Last updated at 00:42 ET

Nevada firefighters contain major brush fire

The brush fire has been helped by strong winds, which have since died down

Firefighters in the US state of Nevada say they have stopped a brush fire which was threatening the city of Reno.

They say the fast-moving blaze was contained before it reached a school in the south of the city.

The fire has already gutted several houses, and some 10,000 people across the state have been forced to flee their homes.

Strong winds later died down and rain started falling, the officials say. There were no reports of any injuries.

More than 200 firefighters are still battling the blaze, which has devastated about 3,700 acres (1,500 ha).

Work will continue into the weekend to contain the fire fully.

Earlier, Washoe County's Deputy Sheriff Armando Avina was quoted as saying by the Associated Press: "It's moving at a very fast rate."

He said that officials were going door to door in the affected areas, urging residents to evacuate their homes.

A stretch of US Highway 395 - where the fire started - remains closed.

Last November, a fire Nevada destroyed 25 homes and forced nearly 10,000 people to leave the area.

One man died fleeing his home and 16 were injured.