A fast-moving brush fire that ignited on a hillside in Northern Nevada just outside Reno on Saturday has surged to more than 10,000 acres, endangering hundreds of homes and triggering expanded evacuation orders.
The Hawk Fire had ballooned to more than 10,500 acres by Saturday evening, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Officials confirmed some structures have already burned, roughly 1,000 homes were threatened, and evacuation zones had grown, according to an update from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
In a social media statement, Gov. Joe Lombardo said the fire was “spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures,” and announced he had declared a state of emergency for Washoe County as firefighters and emergency crews respond to the blaze.
“The Hawk Fire is a very dynamic incident for us as it’s being driven by the winds,” Truckee Meadows Fire Chief Richard Edwards said in a video posted to social media. “The wind-driven fires move very rapidly into our residential areas, creating a lot of challenges for our firefighters to save homes and protect lives.” Edwards urged residents to heed evacuation orders, leave promptly if directed and have a go-bag prepared.
Northwest Specialty Hospital in Reno announced Sunday that it was evacuating patients from the facility “out of an abundance of caution” because of the Hawk Fire. “Patients have been safely transported to appropriate locations where their care will continue without interruption – no patients or staff remain in the building,” the hospital said in a statement.
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Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue reported the fire was moving northeast as of Saturday evening. Thousands of customers were without power, and a portion of U.S. 395 was shut down.
Reno Mayor Hillary Shieve said in a social media statement, “My heart goes out to anyone in our community who has been impacted by the dangerous and fast-moving Hawk Fire,” urging residents to evacuate if ordered and noting that some structures had already burned. “Our firefighters and first responders are heroically fighting the fire and the high winds to save lives, homes, businesses, livestock and pets,” Shieve said.
Fire weather conditions eased somewhat across the West by early Sunday, though they remained near-elevated for portions of the Northwest into the northern Rockies. High temperatures across parts of the West were expected to climb into the 90s Sunday and into the new workweek, including Reno, Salt Lake City and Boise. Red Flag Warnings were posted for small areas of Washington, Idaho and Montana, including regions that have been struck by recent wildfires such as Spokane.
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