Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency for Washoe County due to the rapidly growing Hawk Fire, which has burned more than 10,500 acres near Reno, Reuters reported.
High winds and low humidity in Nevada have fueled a critical wildfire in the hills near Reno. The Hawk Fire is spreading aggressively in the northeast and directly threatening hundreds of residential buildings, prompting police and local sheriffs to order mass mandatory evacuations for the areas around Somerset and Verdi.
More than 27,000 customers in the cities of Reno and Sparks were left without power after local utility NV Energy resorted to an emergency shutdown of the grid for safety reasons. Sections of U.S. Highway 395 were closed, and area hospitals were forced to close their emergency rooms. According to Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue, controlling the fire was extremely difficult due to strong gusts of wind that carried sparks directly into populated areas. As of this hour, dozens of crews and air tankers were struggling to control the fire line.