Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency in Washoe County as firefighters battle the rapidly growing Hawk Fire burning northwest of Reno near Verdi and the Somersett community. According to local news reports, the Hawk Fire was first reported at about 11:23 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, in Washoe County near Verdi. The fire grew explosively on Saturday.
"The Hawk Fire is estimated at approximately 10,500 acres," Washoe County officials said in an evening update, adding that around 400 personnel from local, state and federal agencies were assigned to the incident. Officials said the fire experienced "significant growth throughout the day" due to strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation. Lombardo announced the emergency declaration Saturday evening as evacuations expanded and homes remained under threat.
"I have declared a state of emergency in Washoe County as we respond to the Hawk Fire, which is spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures," the governor said in a statement posted to social media. He urged residents to follow local warnings and evacuate immediately when ordered to do so. The governor said the state was working alongside local authorities and first responders to deploy available resources to protect lives and communities.
The Hawk Fire is burning in Washoe County, northeast of Verdi and northwest of Reno, near Peavine Mountain and the Somersett area. Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue reported earlier in the day that the fire was moving northeast toward populated areas. Evacuation orders and warnings expanded repeatedly throughout Saturday as fire conditions changed.
According to the Washoe County Regional Emergency Operations Center and Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue, new mandatory evacuations were issued for portions of the Somersett community, including areas north of Somersett Parkway to Robb Drive and neighborhoods north of West Seventh Street to North McCarran Boulevard. Washoe County officials upgraded several warning zones to full evacuation orders during the afternoon and evening. An evacuation shelter was established at Hall 4 of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, located at 4590 South Virginia Street in Reno.
Officials haven’t released a consolidated count of evacuation orders affecting individual households, but multiple neighborhoods in northwest Reno, Somersett, Verdi and surrounding areas were placed under either "Go Now" evacuation orders or "Get Set" warnings. The Hawk Fire isn’t the only major wildfire affecting the region. Several large wildfires burning in California, including the nearly contained Bug Fire, which burned more than 93,000 acres along the California-Nevada border in Lassen and Sierra counties, have contributed to broader concerns over regional smoke impacts and firefighting resource demands across the western United States.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
