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.
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Nevada as the Hawk Fire continues to spread rapidly and has set over 15,000 acres ablaze.
The fire, located near Reno, Nevada, was discovered on Saturday, Aug. 22, and has since spread, consuming around 15,051 acres and destroying at least 13 residences, according to USA TODAY’s data. It is 0% contained as firefighters work to control the blaze.
Around 42,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, and 40,000 more were placed under evacuation warnings, according to USA TODAY’s previous reporting.
The fire was discovered on the same day a Red Flag Warning was in effect for northern Washoe County (the county where Reno is located), eastern Lassen County, Surprise Valley and the northern Sierra Front, according to the National Weather Service in Reno. The warning was issued after 35 to 40 mph winds and low humidity resulted in “critical fire conditions.”
State of emergency declared
On Saturday, Aug. 22, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency for Washoe County after the fire continued to spread rapidly.
“I have declared a state of emergency in Washoe County as we respond to the Hawk Fire, which is spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures,” the governor said in a statement. “Please heed all warnings from local officials, evacuate immediately if you are ordered to do so, and do not put yourself or first responders at risk.”
The fire comes amid a busy wildfire season, as areas of the country face dry conditions that create the perfect environment for fires to start.
Hawk Fire map
Contributing: Christopher Cann, Jason Hidalgo, Siobhan McAndrew; USA TODAY NETWORK
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers space phenomena, scientific studies and natural disasters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com