RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesCrews have started to contain a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Reno, Nevada
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Firefighters are gaining ground on a fast-moving wildfire near Reno , Nevada, after flames destroyed more than 30 homes and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate or prepare to flee.
The Hawk Fire was 27% contained Monday after holding at roughly 23 square miles following a dangerous surge over the weekend, officials said.
“We are making progress,” U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Matt Zumstein said.
Evacuation orders and warnings remained in place for about 63,000 residents, down from more than 90,000 at the height of the fire. Officials warned that shifting winds could still send flames through dry vegetation toward residential neighborhoods.
At least 32 homes have been destroyed and six damaged, though authorities expect those numbers to rise as assessment teams reach more burned areas. Seven people — three first responders and four civilians — have been injured.
Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve described the speed and intensity of the flames as unlike anything she had witnessed.
“It lit up these areas like nothing I’ve seen before,” she said. “It took your breath away, in the worst way.”
The fire began Saturday near the California border before exploding in size Sunday. Nevada's governor declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to assist with aerial firefighting operations and secure evacuated neighborhoods northwest of downtown Reno.
Schools across Washoe County were closed Monday to keep roads clear for emergency crews.
Some residents have grown frustrated over restrictions preventing them from returning home, but Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam warned that conditions remain dangerous.
“It just takes that little breeze and one ember,” he said.
Officials said the Hawk Fire is the third major wildfire north of Reno in two weeks. All three were caused by human activity, though authorities have not determined whether the Hawk Fire was started accidentally or deliberately.
The disaster has also complicated preparations for Burning Man, which is scheduled to begin Sunday in the Black Rock Desert. Many festivalgoers traditionally travel through Reno on their way to the event.
Burning Man organizers urged visitors not to take hotel rooms or other resources needed by people displaced by the fire.
“Treat our neighbors, first responders, hospitality workers and everyone affected by this emergency with patience and care,” organizers said.
For some residents, the devastation has been painfully familiar.
Crystal Hallock, 53, lost her home to fire for the second time in less than a decade. An electrical fire destroyed her previous home in 2018, and she moved into the rebuilt property the following year.
Hallock fled Saturday with her children, grandchildren and pets as smoke and flames approached. Her ex-husband remained behind trying to protect the property and her vintage Cadillac with a garden hose.
As conditions deteriorated, Hallock pleaded with him over the phone to leave.
“He was saying he can’t breathe, it’s so dark I can’t see, and I’m screaming at him, ‘Leave the car, just leave it,’” she recalled.
About 30 minutes later, he called again. He had escaped — and managed to save the Cadillac.
“I’m truly blessed because I have a place to stay with my animals and my grandkids,” Hallock said. “We were all able to get out safely.”
Others had little time to gather their possessions.
“Honestly, I thought it was like in a movie,” said Ruby Delatorre, who returned from a concert to find her neighborhood under evacuation orders.
Another resident, Jon Hanbury, was still waiting Monday to learn whether his home had survived.
“The flames were pretty close to my house, and the smoke was really thick,” he said from a temporary shelter at Reno's convention center.
Despite improving containment, the danger is not over. Warm, dry and breezy weather is expected across western Nevada, with critical fire conditions possible later this week.
The Hawk Fire comes during a punishing wildfire season across the West. More than 50,000 wildfires have been recorded nationwide this year, the highest number at this point in a decade, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
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