LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — One person was found dead after crews extinguished a brush fire that broke out and spread to a home in Henderson Wednesday morning, according to the fire chief.

Flames could be seen pouring out of the Whitney Mesa area near Sunset Road and Arroyo Grande Boulevard, just west of Stephanie Street.

Firefighters received a report about an outside fire around 4:30 a.m., Henderson Fire Chief Scott Vivier told reporters. By the time crews arrived, the fire had grown to 2-3 acres, damaged one home and spread to the landscaping of a second home.

“Because the call occurred early in the morning, most residents were asleep, and that’s what allowed the fire to grow to the size before it was recognized,” the chief said. “Residents initially woke up seeing it, and they started to self-evacuate.”

Two alarms were called for the response, according to Vivier. Crews contained the fire to the area of origin and extinguished it with no further damage. Clark County and Bureau of Land Management firefighters provided assistance.

During a primary search of the area, authorities found one person dead. The cause of death is unknown, and Henderson Police are investigating.

About 50 residents in the neighborhood were asked to evacuate because of the heavy smoke, Vivier said. They have since been allowed to return to their homes. He added that the Henderson Fire Department has preexisting plans for evacuating residents in response to any fires in the Whitney Mesa area.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, the chief said, and remains under investigation as well. Crews were expected to remain on scene throughout the day to clean up the space and make sure there were no flare-ups. There was no estimate on when Whitney Mesa Park could reopen to the public.

The Bureau of Land Management has been requested to provide assistance. Vivier said their expertise would be used to remove dangerous brush and trees that had been damaged in the fire.

Green Valley High School is also located nearby, off Arroyo Grande and Warm Springs Road. A Clark County School District spokesperson said the school began classes at their normal start times.

The Whitney Mesa area last suffered a significant brush fire in 2016, when amateur fireworks from a Fourth of July celebration in the Nature Preserve sparked large flames. No injuries were reported in that incident.

Lori Wisniewski lost her Nevada City home in a fire last year and has been living in a 150-square-foot tiny home while she waits for her house to be rebuilt.

It’s being rebuilt at little to no cost to her, thanks to her community stepping up to help.

“I had to jump off the deck, and I thought the dogs would be coming out too, and they didn’t, so that’s very sad,” she said, recounting the day of the fire on January 27, 2025.

Wisniewski lost her pets and home after an accident with her wood-burning stove. She says she wasn’t sure how to move forward without proper insurance and navigating the process without her husband, who died from cancer.

“In First James, it talks about serving widows and orphans as being true religion. So when I saw Lori’s story come across my path, I knew that was an opportunity to put my money where my mouth is with my faith,” said Matthew Sutherlin, CEO of Green Bee Construction.

Sutherlin is spearheading the rebuild of Wisniewski’s home with the help of donated time, labor and materials from other local tradespeople and businesses.

“Who am I to have a designer? And part of me, too, is when I have to choose everything, I always try to go for the least expensive item or tile or front door,” she said.

“Everybody has been shaving things off and donating things and getting reduced costs all the way across the board. That’s what has made it possible for this project to have worked,” said Sutherlin.

It’s been all hands on deck during the last year.

Wisniewski was excited to show us the inside of the house and what’s to come. As a former post-surgical nurse, she even decided an accessible room would be a nice touch for friends or anyone who lent a hand.

“If somebody has to recover or needs a few days to get around after a surgery, they can come and stay in here,” she said.

The builders say the weather has been posing a challenge, especially coupled with hazardous materials leftover from the fire. But they’re getting through it together.

“Every person has stepped up to offer their help. The timing with all the different processes has worked out in our favor. I really believe the whole thing has a blessing on it, really,” said Sutherlin.

Builders expect to be finished with the house in late spring or early summer.

“This community, a lot of them have seen your reports. At Grocery Outlet, ‘oh, you’re the one whose house burned down,’ and I always go into the most important thing about this is what people from the community are doing for this purpose or cause. I sometimes wonder why me? Why am I getting this opportunity? So that’s where I am today,” said Wisniewski.