Nevada declares emergency as human-caused Hawk Fire threatens Reno

The rapidly growing Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada, was caused by human activity, an incident commander said Sunday, as about 90,000 people were urged to evacuate.

According to CNN, the wildfire had burned more than 10,500 acres by Sunday and remained completely uncontained, according to state fire officials.

Three civilians and three first responders have been injured, incident commander Shane Akerson said at a news conference.

Around 5,000 people were also without power, while officials were assessing how many structures had been destroyed.

The fire spread rapidly on Saturday amid strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation. Around 400 firefighters have been battling the blaze, but high winds have complicated containment efforts.

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and urged residents under evacuation orders to leave immediately.

“This is an active and rapidly evolving situation, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant,” Lombardo wrote on X.

Nearly 14,000 homes had been ordered evacuated by Saturday night, according to The Associated Press.

Northwest Specialty Hospital has also begun evacuating patients as a precaution, while the evacuation zone has reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus.