The Hawk Fire Is Burning So Erratically Firefighters Can't Get Ahead of It

Approximately 42,000 residents have been forced to evacuate while another 45,000 people have been put on alert as a massive wildfire burns near Reno, Nevada. Here is the latest news on this rapidly developing situation as wildfire weather reaches critical levels of concern across the West.

Latest Update on Nevada's Hawk Fire

The Hawk Fire has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. According to the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, the blaze has burned over 13,000 acres since it started on Saturday. Three civilians and three firefighters have been injured in the fire.

Winds gusting to 40 mph have fanned the flames as the fire quickly spreads through neighborhoods located to the northwest of Reno. Multiple structures have been destroyed by the fire as it exploded to cover an area of nearly 6 miles in less than 24 hours.

Reno Fire Department Chief David Cochran said that the prolonged period of erratic fire behavior has presented difficulties to the over 800 personnel on the scene. Cochran noted that it was unusual for the erratic conditions to fire up during the overnight and early morning hours, adding another layer of complexity to the challenges.

Wildfires in the desert terrain of Nevada generally die down overnight as temperatures fall and winds decrease, opening a window for crews to get ahead in the containment. However, this window has not presented itself with the Hawk Fire. The response includes ground crews and aircraft fighting around the clock to contain the fire. In addition to the firefighting crews, the Reno Police Department worked feverishly overnight to evacuate residents in the line of danger.

The Hawk Fire got its name from its start on the Hawk Meadow Trail, located roughly one mile north of the Cold Creek Trail in Somersett. Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Shane Akerson confirmed that investigators believe that the fire was human-caused; however, they have not determined how it started.

One of the most troublesome aspects of this fire is that it has moved into populated urban areas, putting thousands of homes, businesses, and infrastructure in danger. Local officials have said that several structures have been lost, but a complete damage assessment has not been conducted because crews are prioritizing the containment of the fire first.