Nevada Wildfire Near Reno Forces 42,000 Evacuations
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A rapidly spreading wildfire north of Reno, Nevada has pushed tens of thousands of residents out of their homes as emergency crews try to stop the fire from moving closer to the city. Authorities said about 42,000 people were under evacuation orders and another 45,000 were on alert to leave, while weather conditions continued to threaten firefighting efforts.
Key Points
- Officials said the wildfire north of Reno had burned about 13,000 acres, or roughly 53 square kilometres, after expanding sharply within about 24 hours.
- About 42,000 residents had evacuated or were inside evacuation zones, while another 45,000 people were told to prepare for possible evacuation.
- Fire officials said the blaze was believed to be human-caused, and investigators were still examining how the fire started.
- At least six people were injured, including three residents and three rescue or firefighting personnel working around the fire zone.
- Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, deploying two National Guard helicopters and additional personnel to assist.
Why It Matters
The fire remained uncontrolled as strong winds were expected to return after red flag conditions of heat, very low humidity and gusts had already worsened the threat. Reno-Tahoe International Airport was still operating commercial flights normally, but power outages affecting about 10,000 users and road closures showed how quickly the disruption could spread.