Marcella Corona

mcorona@rgj.com

Brothel owner Dennis Hof lost his Washoe Valley home Friday morning in the wildfire that raged through 3,460 acres of sagebrush, grass and timber in the Franktown Road area. Hof posted before and after pictures of his home on Twitter, showing it burned to the ground, and implied the Nevada Division of Forestry caused the damage.

"One of my homes before the controlled burn to help the squirrels," he posted with the before picture. "My amazing mountain home after the controlled burn THANKS TO THE STATE OF NEVADA (sic)," he posted with the after photo.

The NDF is investigating the cause of the wildfires, but could not confirm the cause yet.

UPDATE: Little Valley Fire containment up to 55 percent

Little Valley Fire investigation to probe earlier prescribed burn

Hof, who owns the Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel east of Carson City, said he had heard from his neighbors that his house off of J S Bar Ranch Road and Franktown Road was burning.

By Friday afternoon, Hof arrived at Washoe Valley Volunteer Fire Station at Bellevue and I-580, which was designated the command post for the Little Valley Fire.

Hof said a police officer drove him to his home, and he learned his house was gone. He said Friday was his birthday in a post on his Twitter account.

Hof said his home was vacant when the fire erupted Friday morning. Photos showed his house reduced to rubble.

Initially, Hof said he wasn't able to confirm that his house burned early Friday morning because of the Legislation session. Hof is currently running as a Libertarian for Assembly District 36.

Hof said Friday that Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, R-Las Vegas, and Libertarian Assemblyman John Moore were both staying at one of Hof’s guest houses located on a different property adjacent to the Bunny Ranch when the fire broke out. Hof said said Chuck Muth, president of Citizen Outreach, was also staying at a guest house. Citizen Outreach is a conservative grassroots advocacy organization. It was unclear if his guest house was located within his home, which burned down from the fire.

Hof said he owns six guest houses and a second home, all located on the same property near Garnet Circle, adjacent to the brothel on Moonlight Road near Mound House. Hof clarified Sunday that Fiore, Moore and Muth were staying at his guest houses because the Legislation session was running late Thursday night.

Fiore said in an email Friday night that she was in Carson City for the special session and was not staying at Hof's residence that burned down.

Hof said his neighbor, Roger Primm, was able to flee his home early Friday morning. Primm is the son of casino owner Gary Primm.

Hof also said his neighbor Marvin Gates, former owner of the Sagebrush Ranch brothel in Mound House, fled his home as flames were burning on the side of his house and driveway.

The fire has consumed 22 structures, plus another 17 outbuildings, according to Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. It caused evacuations and major road closures, and Washoe County officials declared a state of emergency Friday morning.

It was not immediately known if all of the homes along Franktown Road were destroyed, but authorities were preparing a list of addresses to be released Friday evening, according to TMFPD Fire Chief Charles Moore.

As of Sunday, a portion of the roadway below 6190 Franktown Road remained closed, while the roadway above that address was opened.

The fire was 20 percent contained, and 855 firefighters, 125 engines and 14 hand crews were still on scene. Crews saved 480 homes from burning in the fire area, according to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.

Although the rain over the weekend helped reduce the main fire threat, residents could continue to see smoke billowing from the area, Sierra Front said. Firefighters will continue to mop up around structures to ensure returning residents can enter their homes safely.

Multiple structures are still threatened until crews can fully contain the fire. Residents, who will be allowed to visit their homes, will be contacted by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Attempts at reaching Hof for further comment on Sunday were unsuccessful.

Check with RGJ for more updates as they become available.

The story was updated on Oct. 16, 2016.