Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 | 2:53 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden speaks to thousands of Teamsters gathered for the 28th International Brotherhood of Teamsters at the Paris hotel-casino convention center in Las Vegas Friday, July 1, 2011.
RENO — Vice President Joe Biden was 20 minutes into his speech at a high school here before an encroaching wildfire forced him cut short his remarks.
Biden was in Nevada to discuss higher education policy in the run up to the state’s Democratic caucuses.
Despite repeated entreaties from the Secret Service to stop talking, Biden continued to take questions from the audience who had waited more than an hour for his arrival.
“I know,” he said to an agent motioning for him to get off the stage, midway through his response to a question about the importance of the Dream Act.
Nervous audience members left the high school gym and were greeted by an enormous smoke column. The fire was within a couple miles of Galena High School. A nearby elementary school was evacuated.
Biden wrapped up his speech by urging students to “challenge authority” and go to college.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy