The Hawk Fire in Reno, Nevada, has consumed more than 15,000 acres since it began Aug. 22 and is expected to keep burning over the next two days.
The fire, believed to be caused by a person, started in the Sierra Foothills and was at 27% contained as of 2:30 p.m. PT Aug. 24.
About 45,000 residents have been evacuated and 40,000 others were told they might have to leave on short notice, according to the New York Times.
Approximately 90,000 people are in mandatory evacuation and evacuation warning zones in an area of about 75 square miles, the Reno Gazette Journal reported. Nearly all schools in the region have been closed.
The fire grew from about 13,000 acres initially reported by fire officials on the morning of Aug. 23, prompting Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo to declare a state of emergency in Washoe County.
“We can confirm that the fire was human-caused,” said Shane Akerson, a battalion chief with the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. “However, that is still undergoing active investigation, and we don’t have further details provided at this time.”
About 800 personnel are working on the Hawk Fire as of the morning of Sunday, Aug. 23, Akerson said. Monday resources include 14 crews, 95 fire engines, 14 helicopters and 9 dozers.
At least six people have been injured in the fire, three first responders and three civilians, according to NBC News.
Hawk Fire is one of five recent fires in the region
High heat, dry conditions and strong winds helped spread the Hawk Fire, one of five recent fires to break out in the region near the Nevada and California border. The other fires are all near containment.
Hawk Fire could spread in next 12 to 48 hours
Footage was captured by a live camera stationed in Lassen County, California, looking southeast toward the fire, on Sunday show just how quick the fire spread:
The Hawk Fire is expected to make moderate- to high-intensity runs over the next 12 hours and possibly the next 48 hours, fire officials said Aug. 24.
“The fire has potential to spread northeast and northwest, and conditions remain dynamic and subject to rapid change,” according to incident command.
Nearly 10,000 people are still without power
According to NV Energy, 9,854 residents are still without electricity in Washoe County. About 60,000 lost power on Aug. 22.
Most of the outages are listed as shutdowns because of an active wildfire and are in ZIP codes 89506 and 89508 in the North Valleys. NV Energy does not have an estimate time for power restoration.
Residents evacuate as Hawk Fire spreads rapidly near Reno
Residents of the Reno-Sparks area evacuated on Saturday, August 22, as a new blaze dubbed the Hawk fire rapidly grew in Nevada.
Some evacuation orders have been eased
Areas in and around Somersett have been downgraded from red “Evacuate Now” status to yellow “Get Set to Evacuate,” including all neighborhoods off Robb Drive. The road closures, including into Somersett, are lifted.
Residents were advised to check perimetermap.com for exact boundaries and current road closures.
Public safety officials have established an information line for the Hawk Fire at 775-244-6988. Information is also available at facebook.com/HawkFire2026.
Contributing: Brett McGinness, Jason Hidalgo and Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Gazette Journal
Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters