Firefighting crews have made progress containing the Hawk fire blazing near Reno that has destroyed more than 30 homes and placed tens of thousands under evacuation orders or warnings.

The fast-moving Hawk fire began on Saturday to the north-west of Reno, Nevada’s second most populous city, and quickly spread across more than 15,000 acres by Monday afternoon. 

Richard Edwards, the chief of Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said that first responders have identified 32 destroyed homes and six damaged homes as a result of the fire. 

“We expect those numbers to increase as damage assessment teams are still out in the field assessing other areas right now,” said Edwards during a fire briefing Monday afternoon. 

The fire has also resulted in four civilian injuries and three firefighter injuries, according to officials. Canine search teams have not detected any loss of life in the fire areas.

“The dogs have had no hits on that, so good news for us there as well,” Edwards said. 

As of Monday afternoon, about 23,000 people are under a “go-now” evacuation order and 40,000 people are under a “get-set” warning. 

Authorities said the fire reached 27% containment by Monday afternoon, including regions along the southern portion of Somerset and east of US Route 395, a major north-south highway that was shut down due to the fire. More than 900 personnel are currently assigned to the fire, according to officials. 

“We’ve got helicopters assigned. We’ve got scoopers available to us that have been scooping out of Stampede Reservoir, and we’re utilizing them as needed around the hotspots around the outside of the fire,” said Pete Bryant, the division chief with the Reno Fire Department.

Representatives for NV Energy said about 10,000 Northern Nevada customers are without power due to emergency measures related to the Hawk Fire. Another 250 gas customers in northern Nevada have been left without service. More than 100 power poles were damaged by the fire, and gas infrastructure in the area will require ongoing work.

Matt Zumstein, an agency administrator for the U.S Forest Service, urged residents to avoid flying drones in airspace where firefighting crews are still working.

“It shuts down our aviation assets and causes problems for the suppression side,” Zumstein said. 

Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, Sunday warning residents to follow local officials’ instructions and leave immediately if ordered.

On Monday, the FEMA Region 9 Regional Administrator authorized the use of federal funds to assist the state of Nevada in combating the Hawk Fire burning in Washoe County.

Washoe County said residents can get up to date information about the fire, resources and evacuations at EmergencyWashoe.com. 

Residents can also find the latest evacuation updates at the website Perimeter Map. Information on the current state of the fire can be found at either WatchDuty.com or InciWeb.Wildfire.gov. 

The Nevada Department of Transportation has listed all highway updates and closures at NVRoads.com.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients who lost food due to the wildfires have until Aug. 28 to report the loss and request replacement benefits through the Nevada Division of Social Services.

Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen called on affected areas to contact her office if they need assistance accessing resources by phone at 775-337-0110, or by email at nnv.cs@rosen.senate.gov.

“When disasters like these strike, it is critical that we come together as a community to support each other,” Rosen said in a press release listing various resources. 

Local Resources

  • For any other general questions such as emergency housing or animal services, please visit EmergencyWashoe.com.

Federal Agencies

  • The State Department offers free passport replacements following a major disaster, with all application fees waived up to 18 months after the disaster.