A rapidly expanding wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills has forced more than 90,000 residents to flee their homes in the Reno, Nevada, area, as authorities warn that shifting winds could push the flames into densely populated neighborhoods on the city's edge.
The Hawk Fire, which ignited Saturday, had grown to more than 23 square miles by Sunday, with zero containment, according to fire officials. The blaze has already destroyed some homes, and video posted on social media showed smoldering ruins, with only a scorched basketball hoop standing amid the debris.
Authorities said Sunday night that the fire had remained within its footprint and crews were extinguishing hot spots while working to keep the flames from jumping a major highway and reaching areas filled with homes and businesses. But the threat prompted an expansion of the evacuation zone, which now reaches the edge of the University of Nevada, Reno.
County schools were closed Monday to keep roads clear for emergency crews and to allow residents to focus on evacuations. The fire has injured at least six people, including three first responders and three civilians, officials said.
The cause of the fire has been deemed "human-caused," though officials have not said whether it was intentionally set or accidental. It is the third large wildfire in the rugged terrain north of Reno in the past two weeks, all attributed to human activity.
The rapid escalation caught many residents off guard. Ruby Delatorre, who returned from a concert to find her home in the evacuation zone, told The Associated Press she had little time to gather belongings. "Honestly, I thought it was like in a movie," she said. "I literally want to cry and go back for all my stuff. I just got what I thought I needed."
Teresa Lenshyn, another evacuee, described the forced departure as chaotic and stressful. "You don't know if the winds are going to shift and it's going to get worse," she said.
The fire is burning in an area already under extreme dry conditions, part of a broader pattern across the American West this summer. In early August, fires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area. Nationwide, there have been more than 50,000 wildfires so far this year, the most in a decade for the same period, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The situation in Reno has drawn national attention, with legal battles in Nevada already making headlines. As the fire continues to burn, local officials are urging residents to heed evacuation orders and stay alert to changing conditions.
