Fast-Moving Reno Wildfire Forces Thousands to Evacuate in Nevada

Firefighters continued to make progress Sunday evening as they tried to tame a wildfire that forced thousands of people from their homes as it threatened Reno, Nev.

The blaze, known as the Hawk fire, has burned more than 15,000 acres and has not been contained since it began Saturday in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

On Sunday evening, firefighters “observed extreme fire behavior,” and expected the blaze to reach “pockets of dense fuels” as it advanced toward Reno, a city of almost 300,000 near the border of Nevada and California.

Still, local officials expressed optimism in their efforts to tame the fire, particularly at the southern end of the blaze, where firefighters largely stopped it from advancing.

About 45,000 people were evacuated and an additional 40,000 were warned that they might need to leave at a moment’s notice. About 10,000 customers remained without power, an improvement after 60,000 had no electricity on Saturday.

Six people, including three firefighters, have been injured. It is unknown how many structures the wildfire burned down or damaged.

Officials said that the fire was caused by a human, but did not say whether they suspected arson.

More than 750 personnel are blockisting with the firefighting effort, not including the National Guard and the local police, who are helping safeguard neighborhoods.

Gov. Joe Lombardo, who declared an emergency in the region, cautioned on social media Sunday that the fire was “still a rapidly evolving situation.”

Two Northern Nevada Health System medical centers evacuated patients and remained closed on Monday.

Extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds have helped the Hawk fire expand. It is the second large blaze in the area in the past three weeks.

Arid conditions have propelled an active wildfire season across the American West this summer. In Washington State, hundreds of homes and more than 400,000 acres burned. In Oregon, a record 2.4 million acres have burned in 2026, according to state authorities.

Smoke from the Hawk fire could worsen air quality in the Reno area on Monday as light winds allow the smoke to settle near the ground.

Winds are expected to pick up again in the afternoon, helping disperse the smoke, but they will also make fighting the wildfire more difficult.

Judson Jones contributed reporting.