Story summary
A fast-moving wildfire known as the Hawk Fire has been threatening Reno, Nevada, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. The fire began on Saturday in the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest and quickly grew to over 60 square kilometers (23 sq miles) in size. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of 90,000 people, with some 42,000 under a "go-now" order and an additional 45,000 under a "get-set" warning. The fire has destroyed at least 32 homes and injured at least 9 people, including three first responders and six civilians.
The fire is being fueled by strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, with Nevada's Governor Joe Lombardo ordering the National Guard to assist with firefighting efforts. The fire has spread rapidly due to its "extreme fire behavior," with flames jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to reach hotspots.
The evacuation zone has expanded to include parts of the University of Nevada campus, with authorities urging residents to stay away from the area for several days. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials have confirmed that it was human-caused.
Written for “Reno Nevada Wildfire Outbreak” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Fast-moving wildfire threatens Reno, Nevada, forcing thousands to evacuate
Hawk Fire began Saturday and quickly grew to more than 60 square kilometres
A fast-moving wildfire that jumped over fire trucks and made it difficult for crews to reach hot spots destroyed homes in northwest Reno, Nevada, on Sunday.
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crews → move → Sunday
Shifting winds challenged firefighters trying to bring it under control, and authorities urged some 90,000 people to evacuate.
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authorities → shift → people
At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — were injured, officials said.
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officials → injure → ?
Officials said the fire was "human-caused" but did not provide details on how they reached that conclusion, or whether it was intentionally set or accidental.
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it → say → conclusion
The Hawk Fire began Saturday and quickly grew to more than 60 square kilometres as it spread across the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest, where rugged foothills are ringed by homes and businesses near the California state line.
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foothills → begin → line
Some 42,000 residents have been ordered evacuated as the "GO NOW" zone expanded, reaching the edge of the University of Nevada.
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zone → order → Nevada
Authorities implored all of them to leave and be prepared to stay away for several days, because shifting and strengthening winds were expected to make the fire even more unpredictable.
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fire → implore → days
"Please get out if you can right now," Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said.
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Balaam → get → ?
Cari Kieffer said a video posted on social media showed her house entirely burned down, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.
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hoop → say → media
Destructive wildfires prompt evacuations in Washington state
Spokane wildfires displace thousands, but crews make progress containing flames
"
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crews → prompt → flames
I woke up this morning and just started crying — all my kids, they lost everything," Kieffer said Sunday.
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Kieffer → wake → everything
"We lost all our stuff.
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We → lose → stuff
Everything we own is gone."
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we → own → ?
Kieffer had been watching her son's football game Saturday when she learned that their home on the outskirts of Reno was in the evacuation zone.
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home → watch → zone
An app the family used to track the fire's progress had been lagging significantly behind its actual location, she said, so they thought firefighters had kept the blaze from their neighbourhood.
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firefighters → use → neighbourhood
Instead, Kieffer, her husband and their four children ages 3 to 16 raced to save their dogs and whatever possessions they could retrieve.
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they → race → possessions
Ash rained down, and the wind blew like an oven blast from a wall of flames advancing down the hillside toward their neighborhood, she said.
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she → rain → neighborhood
"I kept looking outside and the flames just kept getting closer and closer every time I looked," Kieffer said.
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Kieffer → keep → ?
"I was like, we gotta go like now."
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we → got → ?
Eyes watering and throat burning, Kieffer grabbed a handful of clothes, a Bible, her wedding photos and her mother's ashes.
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Kieffer → water → clothes
In the frenzy, as firefighters yelled at her family to leave immediately, she said she forgot her family's birth certificates and was unable to salvage her childhood photos.
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she → yell → photos
National Guard mobilized
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Guard → mobilize → ?
The family drove to a friend's home but had to evacuate again.
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family → drive → home
They learned later Saturday evening that their own home was gone.
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home → learn → ?
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting with two helicopter crews as well as 60 troops to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods.
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police → declare → neighborhoods
Also responding were 800 fire personnel.
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personnel → respond → ?
Entire community of Summerland, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to fast-moving wildfire
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community → order → wildfire
France wildfires creep toward wine city of Bordeaux
Nearly 10,000 customers were without power in Washoe County on Sunday, down from 60,000 on Saturday.
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customers → creep → Saturday
Portions of U.S. Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed due to the fire.
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Portions → close → fire
Washoe County emergency officials opened the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to evacuees, but said they couldn't bring their pets — small animals and large animals were to be left at two other locations.
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animals → open → locations
Casinos in Reno offered discounts on hotel rooms to evacuees.
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Casinos → offer → evacuees
Fire quickly turned destructive
The fire was so small Saturday morning that it wasn't even a concern, said Tyler Duvall, who went camping over the weekend.
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who → turn → weekend
"The wind really blew it up," Duvall said.
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Duvall → blow → it
On Saturday alone, 15 new fires popped up across Nevada.
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fires → pop → Nevada
Months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter across the American West have created prime fire conditions.
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Months → create → conditions
Earlier this month, wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area, while three wildfires north of Reno forced more than 13,000 residents from their homes.
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wildfires → force → homes
The University of Nevada, where many of the 20,000 undergraduates moved into their housing this weekend, was just outside the evacuation zone Sunday.
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many → move → zone
Two hospitals evacuated patients and the sheriff said his office was keeping a close watch on whether to evacuate the county jail.
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office → evacuate → jail
The fire moved exceptionally fast Saturday night, jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to get to hot spots while residents were trying to get out, the sheriff said.
"It was extremely confusing," Balaam said, describing how changing winds sent the flames in different directions.
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winds → move → directions
