About 90,000 residents of Reno, Nevada, and the adjacent North Valley are under evacuation orders as a fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire bears down on the city.
The Hawk fire began on Saturday to the north-west of the city, and quickly grew, showing “extreme fire behavior”. It stood at a little more than 15,000 acres burned on Monday morning, and was 0% contained.
No deaths have been reported, but at least six people have been injured – including three first responders – with several mountaintop houses destroyed, according to local media.
Human-caused fire under investigation
“We can confirm that the fire was human-caused,” Shane Akerson, a battalion chief with the Truckee Meadows fire protection district, said according to the Reno Gazette Journal. “However, that is still undergoing active investigation and we don’t have further details provided at this time.”
All but one school in Washoe county, where Reno is located, will remain closed on Monday, authorities said. Nearly 10,000 homes and businesses in the county were without power. Portions of US Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed.
Officials urge immediate evacuation
The rapidly expanding fire was surrounded by neighborhoods. Richard Edwards, the local fire chief, urged people to be ready to evacuate immediately when told to do so.
“The Hawk Fire is a very dynamic incident for us as it’s being driven by the winds. The wind-driven fires move very rapidly into our residential areas,” he said.
“If you have been told to evacuate, please don’t wait!” Hillary Schieve, Reno’s mayor, said in a statement on social media.
“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.
State of emergency declared
Joe Lombardo, Nevada’s governor, has declared a state of emergency in Washoe county.
A local fire rescue service said about 800 people were supporting firefighting efforts, including crews from Australia and New Zealand.
The National Weather Service predicts a chance of afternoon showers for the area, which could help firefighters. Highs in the area are expected between 89 and 94, with light winds becoming southwest 10-15 mph winds in the afternoon.
