The Hawk Fire surged past 23 square miles on Sunday, destroyed homes in northwest Reno, Nevada, and left crews trying to hold a fast-moving blaze that was still uncontained. Authorities urged some 90,000 people to evacuate as the fire pushed through rugged foothills near the California state line.
Haven Daley shot video of smoke billowing in the distance as the fire burned in Reno on Sunday, a scene that captured how close the emergency had come to neighborhoods and businesses. The fire started on Saturday and had already reached 20 square miles as it spread across the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest before expanding further the next day.
At least six people were injured, including three first responders and three civilians. Shifting winds made the firefight harder, and the blaze jumped over fire trucks, complicating crews’ efforts to reach hot spots. Those conditions helped turn a fast-growing fire into a sprawling emergency in just a day.
Officials said the fire was human-caused but did not explain how they reached that conclusion. That leaves the most basic question about the Hawk Fire unanswered even as the damage grows: whether the start was accidental or deliberate, and why the fire was able to move so quickly before crews could get a grip on it.
For now, the immediate reality is simple. Homes have already burned, evacuations remain in place for tens of thousands of people, and no containment has been reported. Until the cause is explained and the spread slows, the Hawk Fire will keep driving the crisis in northwest Reno.
