Human-caused Hawk fire covers more than 15,000 acres as blaze approaches University of Nevada campus in Reno
A fast-moving Nevada wildfire exploded to more than 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) on Sunday, pushing from the Sierra foothills toward the center of Reno and urging nearly 90,000 residents to evacuate as flames threatened neighborhoods and reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus.
The Hawk fire’s “GO NOW” evacuation zone had expanded to the edge of the university campus as strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation fueled the blaze, according to Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue in Reno. Of those urged to evacuate, 42,000 were under strict orders. An additional 45,000 people were in the evacuation warning zone, and encouraged to leave now and be prepared to stay away for several days to clear the roads for first-responders.
“If you have been told to evacuate, please don’t wait!” Hillary Schieve, Reno’s mayor, said in a statement posted on social media on Saturday night. “Structures have already been burned in this fire and your life is more important than a building. Evacuating before the fire arrives also allows our firefighters to focus their efforts on battling the blaze.”
Authorities confirmed three civilians and three first responders had been injured in the fire and several structures have been destroyed. Officials said the fire was human-caused but did not provide additional details on how the fire was started, saying it was under investigation.
Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe county and mobilized the Nevada national guard. Two helicopter crews were deployed to support aerial firefighting operations, while 60 troops were assigned to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods. However winds were whipping the flames, complicating the fight.
“It was extremely confusing,” said Darin Balaam, the Washoe county sheriff, describing how changing winds sent the flames in different directions.
The fire had already proved to be a challenge on Saturday night, moving exceptionally fast, jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to get to hotspots while residents were trying to get out, Balaam said.
The fire was so small on Saturday morning that it wasn’t even a concern, said Tyler Duvall, who went camping over the weekend. By the next day, his house was in the evacuation zone.
“The wind really blew it up,” Duvall said.
“Approximately 400 personnel are currently working on the incident, with resources coming together from local, state and federal agencies, including ground crews and air resources,” the Truckee Meadows statement said.
The rapidly expanding fire was surrounded by neighborhoods, and nearly 10,000 homes and businesses in Washoe county were without power on Sunday. Portions of US Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed because of the fire.
Reno has a population of more than 280,000 residents.
David Barb returned from a weekend hunting trip to find the fire had leveled his taxidermy shop, but his house nearby appeared to have been spared thanks to workers with a landscaping company who cut a fire break, he said. His wife was home when the fire started on the other side of the mountain and later evacuated to a friend’s house.
“I’m kind of devastated, but thank God everyone’s safe,” he said on Sunday.