THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE have been evacuated from their homes near the city of Reno, Nevada as a bush fire spread through the area.

Firefighters were able to stop the blaze pushing towards the city, but more than 20 homes were destroyed yesterday and around 2,000 people remain under evacuation orders today.

The fire caused some power cuts and a water boil notice has been issued, the Reno Gazette reports.

Reno’s fire chief Michael Hernandez said that a more thorough assessment of the affected area could reveal more property damage, the AP reports. He confirmed that one person had died in the fire area, but declined to provide further details and said an autopsy would be carried out to confirm the cause of death.

It’s not clear what started the fire, which broke out around noon yesterday and quickly spread to cover almost 16 square kilometres.

Reno’s KTVN reports that US vice president Joe Biden was forced to cut his address to a Reno high school short because of the nearby fire.

Hernandez said the fire was very similar to one in November which destroyed 30 homes outside Reno. That blaze was sparked by fallen power lines, while dry conditions and strong winds helped spread the flames.

- Additional reporting by the AP