Two families are homeless tonight when Mother Nature helped a fire along. It took just minutes for the fire to spread from one house to the other, the flames fanned by strong winds.

Investigators believe the fire started here in between the two homes and intensified when air compressors set off a series of explosions. The charred debris is all two families have left after the flames were whipped by the winds of nature.

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“A lot of black smoke and flames coming out of the house,” said neighbor John Cooney.

The afternoon inferno engulfed two homes on the northeast side of town, sending neighbors running for cover.

“He heard the window pop and he looked up and saw all the fire,” said Trista Ornelas, one of the homeowners.

The thick black smoke could be seen for miles and fire crews rushed to the rescue, battling the blaze from high and low.

Swift winds only fueled the fires fury.

“It blew it from this house to that house,” said Cooney.

But thanks to the fire department fast response, Maris Ladroma's home was saved and so was the neighbor's dog.

No one hurt, but two families displaced, forced to rebuild their lives from a charred catastrophe.

“Materials is not that important what's important is that everyone is safe,” said homeowner Delia Esperon.

Near the home is the remains of a sail boat. The owner says it was full of gas and that added to the raging fire.

A gas meter also ignited, but fire crews were able to keep that under control. It's now up to investigators to sift through the charred mess to find out the cause of the blaze.

Email your comments to Reporter Travell Eiland

Las Vegas will take over ownership of part of the Las Vegas Wash and begins its plans to create three new parks.

The trust for public land will hand over the deed for the land to the city so renovation can begin. The city used federal money to buy the 13 acres of land along the Las Vegas Wash. The wash is the corridor of land where the city's runoff flows into Lake Mead and right now, it's mostly empty, barren land.

But the city plans to build a 20-mile trail that'll run through of the wash from Floyd Lamb Park to Lake Mead. Along the way there will be three new parks added because the area is currently undeserved with parks.

“The Las Vegas Wash does provide a great opportunity to get multiple uses of the land. It serves primarily as flood control to protect the neighborhoods from the big rain storm events but it will also now serve as a trail that we're developing all the way from the very far northwest down to the wetlands preserve in Clark County,” said Tom Perrigo, city of Las Vegas planning board.

The three parks will built at Washington and Lamb, Sandhill and Owens, and Marion and Harris but there's no date set for construction to begin.

Because the wash is an important ecological resource for Southern Nevada, the hope is the new trail and parks will enhance and protect the wash's ecosystem while providing a recreational experience for locals and tourists.

Firefighters made quick work of a fire that engulfed two homes. It happened Tuesday afternoon in the northeast part of our valley.

It was just before 4 p.m. when a massive, two-alarm fire got started near Stewart and Sandhill.

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Smoke could be seen all across the valley. Authorities say there was no one hurt in the fire.

There's no word on what started fire.

A suspect has been arrested in the robbery of a teacher that happened in northeast Las Vegas on Sunday.

Angelo Stackhouse has been arrested on suspicion that he robbed an elementary school teacher at gunpoint.

It happened in Northeast Las Vegas at Liliam Lujan Hickey Elementary School, just before some people arrived to start setting up for a church service in the school's cafeteria. The teacher had gone to do some work, but never made it to her classroom.

Clark County School Police had checked security footage to get a good description of the suspect. A man who routinely arrives around 8 a.m. to set up for a church service held at the school arrived just minutes after the teacher had been robbed.

Rich Galvin found the victim on the phone with Metro and told Eyewitness News, “I guess she came in and put her book bag down and stuff and set her coffee outside on the ledge and I guess there was someone right around the corner lurking because when she went out to get her coffee he come in and stuck his foot in the doorway and I guess he held her at gunpoint, knocked her down and took her purse.”

The school district police said they got surveillance video footage enhanced to get a better look at the suspect. They said it appeared he was alone and may have driven away after the robbery.  

Local families were reunited with loved ones who were deployed overseas for months. The 314th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is back home from Kuwait.

The unit spent months keeping soldiers supplied with food and water to soldiers as they headed from Kuwait to Iraq.

For many families, the reunion couldn't come soon enough. One military wife laughed as she said she had counted the days and it was exactly one year and 9 days. Family members made decorations to show how much they missed the troops.

“Over the past few weekends, we've been doing posters at home and stuff,” said Brittany Coffey, military daughter.

“I was a reservist myself. It's a pretty proud moment,” said John Winterfeld, a military father who waited for his military son.

The younger Winterfeld said it felt good to be back home.

“Everything. We got into the airport. Even just listening to the slot machines was nice and I hate that,” said Spc. John Winterfeld, 314th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

Reunion after reunion, each family reconnected.

“It's a good feeling. It's a good feeling to know that we're missed,” said Master Sgt. Michael Coffey, 314th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

Across the country police are seeing a rise in home burglaries. Here in the valley, thieves are targeting the most trusting of victims. One trio of thieves con the elderly into trusting them, then robs their homes in the northeast part of town.

Police worry hard economic times could make people more desperate, and this group could turn violent and start forcing their way into homes.

After parking his car, and just feet from his front door, a senior was attacked for his wallet.

“Because my dad is 72-years-old, it is hard on somebody that age when someone comes in and attacks you violently,” Isaias Urrabazo, the victim's son.

His family and neighbors are still in shock of the violence over some quick cash.

“It's like robbing from a church. It is a rotten way of doing something, but they are an easy target and for someone that low to prey on the elderly, it's just not cool,” said neighbor Edgar Annon Jr.

“It speaks testaments to a person's character when they would victimize an elderly person. This is your grandfather. This is your grandmother. How would you want them to be treated by people?” said Anthony Racke Metro Police.

But seniors are finding themselves the target of a several robbers, including one smooth talking trio who says they are interested in doing yard work, and then says his pregnant wife needs to use the bathroom.

“Once inside the home, the male will distract the victim while the female goes through the house and selects items to steal,” said Racke.

In this case, the homeowner didn't buy the line and gave police video of the group, including their Land Rover. But they worry they may soon not take no for answer.

“We want to stop them and identify them so it doesn't escalate to a point where now they are using a weapon or they are actually taking it to the next level and using physical force to gain entry into some ones home,” said Racke.

It's already happened now to one family and now they are left praying their father will recover and be able to come back home, a place they can only hope will again be safe for anyone now seen as a easy target.

Police say common sense is your best defense. A pregnant stranger is not likely to ask to use your bathroom when there are gas stations and fast food shops on every corner. But they say if you are approached never let them inside and call police immediately.

Email your comments to Reporter Amanda Hernandez

More than 170,000 drivers use the north part of Interstate 15 every day. Thursday, a highly anticipated projected that will reduce congestion got underway. The I-15 North Widening Project will make the commute so much easier for drivers.

Thursday, Governor Jim Gibbons joined the Nevada Department of Transportation for the groundbreaking ceremony. The project will begin at the spaghetti bowl and end at Craig Road.

From the spaghetti bowl to Lake Mead, lanes will grow from six lanes to 10. Then from Lake Mead to Craig, the lanes will be expanded from five lanes to eight.

“This project is going to make that trip a lot more efficient, a lot more effective and a lot smoother and quicker for all of those motorists,” said Gibbons.

Jeff Hale, NDOT's project manager for I-15 widening said, “We're asking people to be patient. It is going to be difficult but I tell you what when this thing opens up, it's going to be hugely improved over what's up there now.”

The project will cost a total of $240 million. NDOT hopes to have it completed by August, 2010. Until then, there will be many lane restrictions and changes that will clog the commute.

But don't worry — a website has been created that will help drivers know what closures will affect them and when. You can even sign up for cell phone and e-mail alerts.

Police say they're looking for three thieves who've been targeting elderly people and looting homes for the last couple of months in northeast Las Vegas.

They say two men and a woman who appear to be of Eastern European descent and speak with an accent solicit yard work or tell homeowners they just need to use the bathroom. Once in the house, they create a  distraction and steal items.

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The F-35 fighter jet is scheduled to call Nellis Air Force Base home. Tuesday night, the jet and its impact were the subject of a public hearing.

It was a sparsely attended hearing, with those associated with Nellis making up the bulk of the audience. But the new F-35, now in production, is expected to affect the community.

Homeowner Elsie Kelly is concerned.

“They've let the politicians come in here and build houses at the end of the runway. My house is built where it vibrates,” she said.

The Nellis Air Force Base area homeowner wants to know just how her quality of life will be affected by the arrival of 36 new fighter jets at the base.

The plan is to house 36 F-35 fighters at Nellis to meet the growing demands for new technology and to replace the aging F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbold aircraft.

Required by law, the Air Force is sharing the results of its impact studies and how the new plane will affect natural resources, air quality and noise levels.

“Noise levels greater than 65 decibels would increase by 23-percent, impacting primarily military lands. But those non-military lands would not require a change in status. Those noise levels exceeding 65 decibels could affect an additional 13,907 persons and 11 more receptors, such as schools and churches,” said Sheryl Parker with Nellis AFB.

The first F-35 aircraft will begin arriving at Nellis in 2012, with the last aircraft scheduled to arrive in 2022. And while there's no denying that much will change with the F-35's presence, Nellis spokesman say its all part of keeping America safe and its defenses strong.

Email your comments to NewsOne Reporter Carol Wilkinson

The last of the Air Force's F-117 Nighthawks have flown into the Tonopah Test Range, where they will be retired.

Ceremonies were held at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico Monday, and at the Skunk Works Plant in Palmdale, California Tuesday morning.

They are being decommissioned here in Nevada, where they were built and tested.

The F-117's have flown missions over Panama, Serbia, Afghanistan and Iraq. They are being replaced by the more modern F-22 Raptor.