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."
He said at least six people, including three first responders and three civilians, have been injured, and several properties have been destroyed. Some 800 emergency responders are battling the blaze.
The zone of people urged to "go now" reached the edge of the University of Nevada on Sunday. Officials say people evacuating should be prepared to stay away from home for several days, as unpredictable winds have complicated the fight to contain the blaze.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has activated the National Guard and declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, which includes Reno and parts of Lake Tahoe. This releases federal resources needed to help contain the fire.
"This is an active and rapidly evolving situation, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant and follow the direction of local officials," Lombardo said Saturday in a statement posted on social media.
As the fire moves into more heavily urban areas, authorities said tens of thousands of people in areas with "be ready to evacuate" status should stay alert and have "go bags" prepared in case they have to leave suddenly. Sheriff Darin Balaam of Washoe County also urged residents to keep tabs on Watch Duty, an app and website that provides real-time data on nearby wildfires and other natural disasters.
"If you can get out now, I would ask you please to do that," Balaam said, saying that would make it easier for firefighters and first responders to do their job.
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center is receiving evacuees, and hundreds of people spent Saturday night there, NPR member station KUNR reports.
Officials first received reports of the Hawk Fire just after 11 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday. "Red flag" fire conditions – warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds – helped fuel the blaze, according to Richard Edwards, fire chief at Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, one of the teams combating the wildfire.
"The Hawk Fire is a very dynamic incident for us, as it's being driven by the winds," Edwards said in a video posted to social media Saturday.
"The wind-driven fires move very rapidly into our residential areas, creating a lot of challenges for our firefighters to save homes and protect lives," he said.
Balaam noted that the Hawk Fire is the third major wildfire to hit northern Nevada in the last few weeks. The Bug Fire, which began Aug. 8 just north of the Hawk Fire, has burned nearly 94,000 acres and is now around 94% contained. The Stallion Fire, which started two days later, is now 98% contained after claiming just over 40,000 acres.
This year, more than 7.7 million acres have burned in the U.S. – the largest year-to-date area in a decade – as wildfires have torn across the landscape, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. Firefighters are currently working to contain 79 large fires in 18 states.
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