Hawk Fire Near Reno Prompts Evacuation Warning for 90,000 Residents

Firefighters work to stop flames from reaching Reno neighborhoods

RENO, Nev. — The Hawk Fire, a fast-growing wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Reno, prompted authorities over the weekend to urge more than 90,000 residents to leave their homes as flames moved dangerously close to residential areas on the edge of Nevada's second-largest city.

The blaze began Saturday and expanded to more than 23 square miles, or about 60 square kilometers, by Sunday. Fire officials reported no containment as the fire burned through rugged terrain near the California state line, where neighborhoods surround the foothills.

Authorities said the fire had already destroyed some homes. Videos shared on social media showed burned-out residences and vehicles, including one scene in which a scorched basketball hoop was left standing amid the ruins.

Officials said the fire was caused by human activity, although they had not said whether the ignition was intentional or accidental. At least six people were injured, including three first responders and three civilians, according to authorities.

Schools close as evacuation routes remain critical

Schools across the county were closed Monday because of the evacuations and to keep roads open for emergency personnel. The closures came as firefighters worked to protect communities that have expanded into the foothills surrounding Reno.

Late Sunday, authorities said the Hawk Fire had remained within its existing footprint while crews extinguished hotspots. Their immediate objective was to prevent the flames from crossing a main highway and spreading into areas with homes and businesses.

Residents described a chaotic escape as the wildfire rapidly intensified. Ruby Delatorre said she returned from a concert to discover that her home was inside an evacuation zone. She went back Sunday to retrieve additional belongings.

“Honestly, I thought it was like in a movie,” Delatorre said. “I literally want to cry and go back for all my stuff. I just got what I thought I needed.”

Another evacuee, Teresa Lenshyn, said uncertainty over the weather made leaving especially difficult. “You don’t know if the winds are going to shift and it's going to get worse,” she said.

Third major human-caused fire north of Reno in two weeks

The Hawk Fire is the third large wildfire reported in rugged country north of Reno during the past two weeks, and fire officials said each was linked to human activity. Some residents initially believed the smoke seen Saturday was from another wildfire that had already been burning in the region.

The Reno-area emergency is part of a wider and unusually active wildfire season across the American West. Extremely dry conditions have contributed to fires in multiple states, including eastern Washington, where wildfires forced about 60,000 people to evacuate from the Spokane area earlier in August.

More than 50,000 wildfires had been recorded nationwide by this point in the year, the highest total for the same period in a decade, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The Hawk Fire remained uncontained in the latest update, with crews continuing to attack hotspots and protect Reno-area neighborhoods from further spread.