A fast-growing wildfire north of Reno, Nevada, has forced the evacuation of nearly 14,000 homes and prompted Governor Joe Lombardo to declare a state of emergency in Washoe County. The Hawk Fire, which started Saturday near the Hawk Meadow Trail, grew to more than 10,500 acres with zero containment by Sunday morning, burning in the area of Peavine Peak.
Lombardo mobilized the Nevada National Guard with two helicopter crews and 60 troops, while approximately 400 personnel worked the incident. Red and yellow evacuation zones were established around the fire, with Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve urging residents to leave immediately when ordered. Nearly 10,000 homes and businesses in Washoe County lost power, and about 37,000 customers across the Truckee and North Lake Tahoe region were also affected. Portions of U.S. Route 395 were closed, and Reno-Stead Airport shut to general aviation.
The fire reached the edge of the University of Nevada Reno campus on Sunday. Commercial flights at Reno-Tahoe International Airport remained unaffected. Earlier this month, a separate blaze in the area destroyed nearly 40,000 hectares and killed a 78-year-old woman.