Thousands forced to evacuate parts of Reno, Nevada, as new wildfire rages
A fast-growing wildfire known as the Hawk Fire has forced 42,000 residents to evacuate Reno, Nevada, with thousands more on standby. The human-caused blaze has injured six people and prompted Governor Joe Lombardo to declare a state of emergency.
Why it matters
The rapid escalation of the fire highlights the increasing threat of urban-interface wildfires and the strain on emergency resources in the American West.
Some 42,000 people in Reno, Nev. have been forced to evacuate, and another 45,000 have been told to prepare to leave, as a fast-growing wildfire spread toward neighborhoods in the northern part of the city on Sunday.
The blaze, known as the Hawk Fire, has grown to more than 15,000 acres since it began Saturday in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to data posted by the National Interagency Fire Center's Inciweb late Sunday.
"We can confirm that the fire was human caused," Shane Akerson, a battalion chief with the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and one of three incident commanders for the Hawk Fire, said at a press conference late Sunday morning. "However, that is still undergoing active investigation."
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