Nevada: The Hawk Fire burns more than 15,000 acres and forces the evacuation of tens of thousands of people
The fire, which started near Reno, destroyed dozens of homes and left several people injured. Authorities have preliminarily determined that it was caused by human activity.
File photo of a fire
The Hawk Fire, which has been spreading since the weekend through northern Nevada, has burned more than 15,000 acres, about 6,090 hectares, near Reno and triggered one of the largest recent evacuation operations in the area.
At the height of the emergency, approximately 42,000 people received evacuation orders, while another 45,000 were placed on alert to leave their homes should the fire continue to spread, according to authorities and reported by Reuters.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County due to the rapid spread of the flames and the threat to homes and other structures. The measure mobilized state and National Guard resources to support firefighting and evacuation efforts.
More than 30 homes destroyed
Conditions improved somewhat in recent hours. Emergency crews managed to increase containment to approximately 27%, while the preliminary tally puts the number of destroyed homes at at least 32 and damaged homes at six, according to the agency.
Authorities also reported seven people with minor injuries, including civilians and emergency responders. Although evacuation orders began to be lifted in some areas, tens of thousands of residents remained displaced or under warning.
The fire also caused power outages, road closures and school closures in Washoe County. The regional emergency center has set up shelters for evacuees and is keeping the official evacuation map up to date.
The fire was caused by human activity
Strong winds, high temperatures, dry vegetation and low humidity contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. Hundreds of firefighters remain deployed in the area as efforts continue to fully contain the fire and assess the damage.
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