90,000 forced to flee as raging Reno wildfire tears through neighborhoods

Firefighters are gaining ground on a fast-moving wildfire near Reno, Nevada, after flames destroyed more than 30 homes and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate or prepare to flee. The Hawk Fire was 27% contained Monday after holding at roughly 23 square miles following a dangerous surge over the weekend, officials said. Forest Service District Ranger Matt Zumstein said.

Evacuation orders and warnings remained in place for about 63,000 residents, down from more than 90,000 at the height of the fire. Officials warned that shifting winds could still send flames through dry vegetation toward residential neighborhoods. At least 32 homes have been destroyed and six damaged, though authorities expect those numbers to rise as assessment teams reach more burned areas.

Seven people — three first responders and four civilians — have been injured. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve described the speed and intensity of the flames as unlike anything she had witnessed. Nevada's governor declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to assist with aerial firefighting operations and secure evacuated neighborhoods northwest of downtown Reno.

Schools across Washoe County were closed Monday to keep roads clear for emergency crews. Some residents have grown frustrated over restrictions preventing them from returning home, but Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam warned that conditions remain dangerous. Officials said the Hawk Fire is the third major wildfire north of Reno in two weeks.

All three were caused by human activity, though authorities have not determined whether the Hawk Fire was started accidentally or deliberately. The disaster has also complicated preparations for Burning Man, which is scheduled to begin Sunday in the Black Rock Desert. Many festivalgoers traditionally travel through Reno on their way to the event.

Burning Man organizers urged visitors not to take hotel rooms or other resources needed by people displaced by the fire. For some residents, the devastation has been painfully familiar. Crystal Hallock, 53, lost her home to fire for the second time in less than a decade.