Reno wildfire forces 90,000 to evacuate as Hawk fire spreads to 15,000 acres

On Sunday, a wildfire that started from human activity had already consumed more than 15,000 acres of land around Reno, Nevada, and was moving fast enough that nearly 90,000 people had to leave their homes. The flames were advancing from the Sierra foothills toward the city's center, driven by strong gusts of wind, humidity so low it seemed to pull moisture from the air itself, and vegetation so dry it burned like kindling. By Sunday morning, the fire had reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus, a sprawling institution with about 24,000 students enrolled the previous fall. Of the people ordered out, 42,000 faced mandatory evacuation orders—the kind that leave no room for debate. Another 45,000 were in warning zones, told to prepare to leave and stay away for days, partly to keep roads clear for firefighters and emergency vehicles.

Reno's mayor, Hillary Schieve, posted a message on social media late Saturday night that cut through any hesitation: leave now, she said. Buildings can be replaced. Lives cannot. Structures were already burning. The fire had already injured three civilians and three first responders, and multiple buildings had been destroyed. Authorities confirmed someone had caused the fire deliberately or through negligence, but they released no details about how it started—that investigation was still underway.

The speed of the fire's growth shocked people who had been there just hours before. Tyler Duvall, who had gone camping over the weekend, returned to find his house suddenly in the evacuation zone. On Saturday morning, the fire had barely registered as a concern. By Sunday, the wind had transformed it into something uncontrollable. Darin Balaam, the Washoe County sheriff, described the experience of fighting it as "extremely confusing"—the changing winds sent flames in different directions, making it nearly impossible for responders to predict where the fire would go next. On Saturday night alone, the fire moved so fast that it jumped over fire trucks and made it impossible for crews to reach active hotspots while residents were still trying to escape.

Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and activated the Nevada National Guard. Two helicopter crews were brought in for aerial firefighting, while 60 National Guard troops were assigned to patrol evacuated neighborhoods and prevent looting. About 400 personnel from local, state, and federal agencies were working the fire by Sunday, including ground crews and air resources. The scale of the response reflected the scale of the threat: nearly 10,000 homes and businesses lost power on Sunday, and at least 20 road closures were in effect by Sunday afternoon. US Route 395, a major north-south highway, was shut down because of the fire.

David Barb, a taxidermist, returned from a hunting trip to find his shop had been leveled by flames. His house, just nearby, had survived—saved, he believed, by workers from a landscaping company who had cut a fire break around the property. His wife had been home when the fire started on the other side of the mountain and had evacuated to a friend's house. "I'm kind of devastated, but thank God everyone's safe," he said on Sunday. The University of Nevada, with classes scheduled to begin on August 24, remained just outside the evacuation zone on Sunday morning, though officials had prepared emergency response plans in case conditions shifted. New students had already been allowed to move into dorms as early as August 13.

The Reno-Sparks Convention Center opened its doors to evacuees, though with a restriction: pets were not allowed inside. Small and large animals were directed to two other locations instead. Casinos in Reno offered discounted hotel rooms to people who had fled their homes. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport remained outside the evacuation zone and continued commercial operations, but the smaller Reno-Stead airport closed to general aviation while remaining open to firefighting aircraft. Authorities were also watching a county detention facility located several blocks from the outer edge of the evacuation warning area, with the sheriff saying they had plans in place to evacuate inmates if necessary.

This fire arrived just weeks after three other wildfires, driven by the same dry conditions and wind, had forced more than 13,000 residents from their homes earlier in August. Reno, a city of more than 280,000 people, was facing a summer of fire that showed no sign of stopping.