The fast-growing Hawk Fire that was spreading toward neighborhoods and consumed some homes in northwest Reno, Nevada, was caused by humans and was 0% contained Sunday, authorities said. At least six people were injured.
An additional 45,000 people were in the evacuation warning zone, and encouraged to leave now and be prepared to stay away for several days to clear the roads for first-responders. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting with two helicopter crews as well as 60 troops to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods. Nearly 10,000 customers were without power in Washoe County on Sunday. Reno has a population of more than 280,000 residents.
Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed due to the fire. The smaller Reno-Stead Airport was closed to general aviation traffic due to the Hawk Fire, but remained open to firefighting aircraft.
Officials said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that 42,000 residents have been ordered evacuated, and the “GO NOW” zone reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus. Nevada Gov. Portions of U.S. So far, he’s experienced a hailstorm with flash flooding, two different power outages and, now, the second wildfire incident in the region in two weeks. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport also was outside the evacuation zone. Commercial flights at the airport were unaffected Sunday.
Retired police officer and firefighter Ted Melden has seen his share of Mother Nature’s fury since moving to Reno with his wife earlier this month from Chapin, South Carolina.
An application the family used to track the fire’s progress had been lagging significantly behind its actual location, she said, so they thought firefighters had kept the blaze from their neighborhood. The fire was so small Saturday morning that it wasn’t even a concern, said Tyler Duvall, who went camping over the weekend. Strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation are fueling its growth, according to Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue in Reno.
Kieffer had been watching her son’s football game Saturday when she learned that their home on the outskirts of Reno was in the evacuation zone. By the next day, his house was in the evacuation zone and he couldn’t get back.
