A fast-moving, human-caused blaze known as the Hawk Fire has torn through northwest Reno, Nevada, injuring six people and triggering evacuation orders or warnings for about 90,000 residents as authorities race to get the wildfire under control.
The brush fire ignited on Saturday afternoon across the rugged Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest before expanding across 13,000 acres, with zero containment reported.
Shifting Winds Drive Rapid Spread of the Hawk Fire
The blaze moved at high speed late on Saturday night as shifting mountain winds drove advancing flames downhill towards illuminated subdivisions near the California border.
Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam described the scene as dangerous, explaining that the blaze bypassed fire engines and blocked first responders attempting to reach active hotspots while families fled.
'It was extremely confusing,' Balaam said, describing how shifting mountain winds pushed the flames in multiple directions, severely complicating containment efforts during the night.
Mandatory 'GO NOW' evacuation orders encompassed roughly 42,000 residents as the perimeter pushed towards the University of Nevada, Reno, campus. Another 45,000 people were placed in yellow warning zones and urged to leave early to avoid severe traffic congestion.
Reno, home to more than 280,000 people and Nevada's largest urban centre outside Las Vegas, faced disruption as authorities shut down sections of U.S. Route 395.
Displaced residents gathered at the Reno-Sparks Convention Centre, where emergency teams established an evacuation hub, though domestic pets were not permitted inside the main hall.
Pet owners were instead instructed to transport small and large animals to separate regional boarding facilities.
Local casino operators in downtown Reno also offered discounted rooms to displaced families. For some residents, the rapid escalation of the fire was unexpected.
Tyler Duvall, who was camping over the weekend, discovered by Sunday afternoon that his neighbourhood was completely cordoned off.
Duvall noted that the fire had seemed small and manageable on Saturday morning before intense canyon winds blew it up, adding that several homes roughly a mile from his property were already destroyed.
State of Emergency as Crews Battle Expanding Blaze
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo declared a formal state of emergency across Washoe County on Sunday, mobilising the Nevada National Guard to reinforce roughly 800 firefighters on the ground.
The deployment includes two helicopter crews performing aerial water drops and 60 troops tasked with helping law enforcement protect evacuated residential neighbourhoods.
'This is an active and rapidly evolving situation, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant,' Lombardo wrote in a public statement, pressing residents in designated evacuation corridors to leave immediately without delay.
Unified incident commander Shane Akerson confirmed that the six casualties comprised three civilians and three first responders. Detailed damage assessments are underway across the foothills to determine how many properties were destroyed, with Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve reminding residents that buildings can be rebuilt while human lives cannot.
Utility teams made progress after electrical power outages initially affected 60,000 customers on Saturday, lowering that figure to roughly 5,000 by Sunday afternoon. Across the state line, California Governor Gavin Newsom said emergency personnel were closely tracking the situation along the border to assist local firefighting efforts.
The origin of the human-caused fire remains under investigation. With the National Weather Service forecasting low humidity, dry vegetation and shifting southerly winds that could push dense smoke across Reno, fire crews continue working to contain the blaze.
