Fire department contacts NCSO after dispute with property owner

Believe it or not, with proper county permitting, it’s perfectly legal to bury one’s deceased family member on personal property in Nye County, but when it comes to burning a dead steer, the act is illegal in Pahrump.

That fact was not lost on one local resident last week when Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputies were contacted for a mutual aid response to settle a beef between a property owner and Pahrump fire crews who were originally contacted for a smoke investigation.

Upon arrival, officials learned that the man who was burning brush on his property, decided to try to cremate the carcass, officials said.

“The investigation revealed that it was a person trying to burn livestock, but the ordinance doesn’t permit that,” Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis told the Pahrump Valley Times. “Though the animal was deceased, the act goes against the ordinance, but it was remedied quickly when the law enforcement component was added, and it was all taken care of with the owner of the property.”

Last year, the Pahrump Valley Times reported that a local woman was arrested and charged after the decomposed body of her 95-year-old father was found buried in the backyard of her residence.

Though she was not charged with the burial, sheriff’s deputies took her into custody for larceny and obstruction according to the arrest report.

According to law, Nye residents can legally bury the body of a family member on their property with the approval of county commissioners for the establishment of a “family cemetery.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com.