Businesses offer free services to victims and firefighters

While smoke continues to billow from blackened hills west of town, Carson City businesses have stepped forward to offer help to firefighters and victims of the Waterfall fire.

Accounts have been set up by both Bank of American and Wells Fargo, which each donated at least $10,000.

Jo Misuraca from Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse secured $1,500 worth of firefighting tools from her corporate office. The offer was instantly accepted by Bureau of Land Management crews and the tools were picked up Friday.

Lowe's also donated 300 cases of bottled water to the shelter on Wednesday, then drove 72 cases donated by Office Depot to the shelter in their trucks. Call Lowe's, located at the corner of Fairview Way and Carson Street, at 881-2460 for information.

ComputerCorps is offering free access to e-mail and the Internet, loan and replacement computers, printing of flyers, help with data recovery from damaged systems and use of printers and fax machines.

Volunteers at the nonprofit on Highway 50 have a good view of Carson City - but not after 2 p.m. lately.

"By about mid afternoon we can't see half the city down below us (because of smoke)," said Leonard Duke.

They'll offer services to any victims or emergency workers.

"We're trying to be as helpful as we can to those folks who have been displaced our the guys who are away from home fighting the fire," Duke said. "We thought this was an area we could help the people."

Call ComputerCorps, 6373 Highway 50 East, at 883-2323.

De Bug Computers and Internet Cafe, located downtown at 729 N. Carson St. is also offering free Internet access to firefighters and victims. Call 883-3630.

The Camp N Town RV park at 2438 N. Carson St. has invited evacuees with RVs.

"We only have one space left," said Kurt Lepire on Friday afternoon. "But we have a common area where they can park. They can fill up their tanks but they won't have electricity or anything. And I'll give them a shower house key if they need."

Camp N Town is also open to firefighters who need a place to camp. Owner Ivan Lepire is thankful to firefighters who kept flames 75 feet from his house at the corner of Ormsby Boulevard and Kings Canyon Road. Call Camp N Town at 883-1123.

The Carson Nugget has donated meals to firefighters.

Brad Adams, vice president of the Carson Nugget, said they have donated 250 "to-go" meals, 45 sandwiches, 28 breakfasts and more than 200 meals in the Garden Coffee Shop. More meals were served in the buffet.

"It's very sporadic when they come in," he said. "It could be 4 in the morning, just depends on when they come in."

Adams said due to a miscommunication, hostesses accepted payment from firefighters for some meals, but he would work on getting the money back to those who paid.

"This is what we do as part of the community. We do what we can to help.

"It's nice to see the firefighters walk through the casino. When they do, people stand up and clap for them. We're doing what we can and, yeah, we'll probably keep it going throughout the length of the fire."

Sprint PCS is offering free phone calls and batteries at its Carson City store, 3817 S. Carson St. Because cell phones are used by firefighters, the store is urging people to use their land lines.

Jack-In-The-Box and Round Table Pizza have offered food donations to any victims who visit the Sprint store. Call 689-3904.

Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.