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Nearly 90,000 told to evacuate as wildfire approaches Reno, Nevada

Ben Hatton
Plumes of smoke seen over Reno as thousands evacuate due to wildfires

Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate from an area close to Reno, Nevada, as a large wildfire reached the outskirts of the city.

Around 42,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes immediately, with a further 45,000 people urged to get ready to leave.

The fire, which was first reported on Saturday morning, had so far injured six people, officials said. Windy and unpredictable weather conditions have contributed to its spread.

Nevada's Governor Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and ordered the National Guard to join firefighting and law enforcement efforts.

"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," he said.

The fire was caused by humans and first reported at 11:15 local time (18:15 GMT) on Saturday, according to local officials.

The Washoe emergency information centre said around 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) had been burned.

It said that, as of Sunday lunchtime, no part of the fire's perimeter had yet been contained.

Around 13,700 homes were inside the evacuation area, local emergency services said, with two shelters set up to take in displaced residents.

Of the six injured, three were emergency responders fighting the fire.

News imageGetty Images Two people look over what appears to be a domestic fence. They are looking at where smoke is rising from hills in the background. Getty Images
News imageReuters/Nevada National Guard An image taken from a video shows a National Guard member in a helicopter - in the background outside are flames and smoke billowingReuters/Nevada National Guard
The Nevada National Guard said 72 personnel, one Chinook and one Black Hawk helicopter had joined the response

All Washoe County schools will be closed on Monday, except one, and mass road closures are in place.

The immediate "go now" evacuation zone and wider "get set" area - where people are being warned to prepare to evacuate - do not extend to the centre of Reno, but do affect large urban areas and part of a highway.

The University of Nevada in Reno - which has its main campus in the city, outside of but close to the "get set" warning area - said regular campus operations would continue but that it was monitoring the situation.

Large air tankers and helicopters have been flying over the area dropping water and fire retardants.

News imageMap showing active fire detections linked to the Hawk Fire west of Reno, Nevada, over the previous 24 hours. Red dots marking fire activity are concentrated near Reno Stead Airport, with the city of Reno to the south-east. Also marked is the perimeter of the wildfire, meaning the estimate outer boundary of where fire has burned or is burning on the periphery of the city

The blaze has been been named the Hawk Fire because it was first reported near the Hawk Meadow Trail, to the west of Reno.

Reno, in western Nevada, is located close to the state boundary with California and has a population of around 280,000 people.

Wildfires are common in south-western US states, including Nevada, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are currently three large fires in the state, out of a total of 79 nationwide.

However, many of these fires develop in rural and less populated areas, with only a few encroaching on population centres.

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