Devastating wildfire burning through Nevada threatens Reno…injury count rises after several homes and a hospital forced to EVACUATE
A fast-moving, human-caused wildfire is sweeping towards Reno, Nevada, prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents and injuring at least six people. The Hawk Fire broke out on Saturday and rapidly grew to 20 square miles with no containment, tearing through the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest amid shifting winds that officials described as "extremely confusing" and difficult to fight. The blaze has destroyed several structures, forced a hospital to evacuate patients, and threatens homes and businesses close to the University of Nevada campus.
Around 42,000 people are under a "GO NOW" evacuation order, with a further 45,000 in an adjacent warning zone, while more than a dozen roads, including sections of US Route 395, remain closed. Nearly 10,000 homes and businesses were still without power on Sunday, down from 60,000 at the peak of the fire. Evacuees have been directed to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with Reno casinos offering discounted rooms, while at least one family, including Cari Kieffer's, described losing their home entirely, with only a scorched basketball hoop left standing.
- Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada has forced roughly 90,000 people to evacuate
- Six injured; several homes and a hospital evacuated as fire spreads uncontained
- Tens of thousands without power; major roads closed and shelters opened
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Wildfires are common in the western United States, especially in late summer when vegetation is dry and winds are strong, and they can spread within hours across areas close to towns and cities. Nevada, a largely dry, mountainous state, borders California and sits at the edge of the Sierra Nevada range; Reno, its second-largest city, lies close to wildland areas that have long been considered at risk during fire season.
The Hawk Fire is one such blaze, and its proximity to a major population centre, rather than a remote wilderness, is what has made it especially disruptive. Fires of this kind are typically fought by state and federal agencies, including the US Forest Service, which manages the national forest land involved here, working alongside local police, fire services and utility companies who coordinate evacuations and power shutoffs to reduce danger.
Events like this typically raise questions about what caused the fire, how quickly emergency services can warn and move residents, and the toll on housing, infrastructure and daily life in the affected area. The scale of evacuation orders and the strain on services such as hospitals and power networks are often used as early indicators of how serious a wildfire has become.