Thousands of residents were urged to evacuate immediately as the massive Hawk Fire tore through more than 10,000 acres in Nevada.
The fast-moving wildfire had grown to 10,523 acres by Saturday night, triggering evacuation orders across northwest Reno and the North Valleys, according to KRXI2.
By Saturday evening, officials reported that none of the dangerous blaze had been contained. Earlier that same day, the fire had been estimated at about 3,000 acres, underscoring how quickly conditions deteriorated.
“Go now” evacuation orders were issued for areas north and northwest of Somersett, north of Verdi, the west side of Golden Valley, Lemmon Valley and Stead. Additional sections of Golden Valley, Lemmon Valley and Stead were placed under “get set” warnings, meaning residents should be ready to leave at short notice.
Altogether, more than 6,000 people were covered by some form of evacuation directive as firefighters battled the rapidly expanding Nevada wildfire.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, which includes Reno, in response to the Hawk Fire. He said the blaze was “spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures.”
Lombardo also repeated the evacuation instructions, warning that the fire remained an “active and rapidly evolving situation.”
The Hawk Fire broke out at around 11.30am Saturday roughly one mile north of Cold Creek Trail, near Somersett, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.
The Hawk Fire had spread to more than 10,500 acres in Nevada as of Saturday night, causing evacuations in the Reno area
Roughly 6,000 people in Somersett, Verdi, Golden Valley, Lemmon Valley and Stead were under ‘go now’ or ‘get set’ evacuation orders because of the massive blaze
The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said earlier on Saturday that about 1,000 homes were threatened by the fast-growing blaze
Reno Mayor Hilary Schieve said on Saturday night that the fire had already burned structures, though she did not offer any other details
Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, an independent, said Saturday night that structures had already been burned as a result of the fire, though she did not share specific details.
‘Your life is more important than a building,’ Schieve said. ‘Evacuating before the fire arrives also allows our firefighters to focus their efforts on battling the blaze.’
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Reno urged locals to ‘GO NOW’ Saturday evening on X, alongside a photo depicting a gigantic plume of smoke.
An evacuation site had been set up at Hall 4 of the Reno Sparks Convention Center on 4590 S. Virginia Street, authorities said.
The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said earlier that the fire was moving northeast towards North Virginia Street between Seneca Drive and Copperfield Drive.
It threatened roughly 1,000 homes as a result, according to the fire district.
As the fire continues to spread, authorities are expected to issue new updates and evacuation directions.
US Route 395 was closed in both directions from Parr Boulevard to Red Rock Road on Saturday night because of the massive fire, according to the Reno Fire Department.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Reno insisted to locals that they had to ‘GO NOW’ while insisting on the evacuation order
About 50,000 people north of Reno did not have power as of Saturday night because of the raging Hawk Fire
As of Saturday night, the Hawk Fire had not been contained at all
Nearly 50,000 people north of Reno were without power as of Saturday night.
The outages were concentrated in the Cold Springs, Stead and University Ridge areas.
The emergency room at North Valleys also had to temporarily close as a result of the Hawk Fire, according to KOLO.
Patients were being immediately evacuated using a safe transport plan, according to the outlet.
The fire, which has not been contained at all so far, evoked stunning images across Reno on Saturday.
People driving out of town were met with seemingly interminable amounts of smoke as the horizon took on a red tint from the fiery conditions.
The Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center was previously being used as an evacuation site, but agencies said it was now full.
Massive plumes of smoke caused by the Hawk Fire could be seen in the distance of photos shared on Saturday
At one point on Saturday, the fire was estimated to be about 3,000 acres before it continued ballooning over the course of the day
Reno had been under a red flag warning on Saturday, with the National Weather Service predicting wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour
The emergency room at North Valleys had to temporarily close as a result of the Hawk Fire, according to KOLO.
Patients were being immediately evacuated using a safe transport plan, according to the outlet.
A red flag warning had been in effect in Reno on Saturday, which the National Weather Service deemed ‘critical fire weather.’
Wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour with humidity as low as 12 percent was expected across the area.
The NWS said those conditions offered ‘rapid fire growth potential’ as they urged people to not drag trailer chains, drive over dry grass or go target shooting.
Though the Hawk Fire started in Nevada, California was also feeling the brunt of the blaze.
Sierra Nevada was placed under an evacuation warning, meaning that residents should be prepared to leave their homes.
About 14,800 customers in the Truckee area, in Sierra Nevada, were without power on Saturday because of the fire, according to SFGATE.
The Truckee Donner Public Utility District said this was because of an ’emergency de-energization of the transmission line that feeds our system’ due to how close it was to the Hawk Fire. An estimate for a return was not available.
