Newsletters
Tens of thousands of people looked set to spend another night away from home Monday as a wind-driven fire bore down on the western U.S. city of Reno.
Schools were closed as smoke swathed the Nevada city, near the California border, home to around 280,000 people.
Around 24,000 remained under evacuation orders on Monday, officials said, down from over 40,000 at its peak. Tens of thousands more have been placed on alert and told to keep bags ready to go at a moment's notice.
The Hawk Fire began on Saturday and had grown to more than 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) by Monday, though firefighters said they had contained 27% of its perimeter, some of which lies just 5 miles (8 kilometers) northwest of Reno.
No deaths have been reported, but seven people have been injured, including three first responders. At least 32 properties have been destroyed and several others damaged.
Truckee Meadows Fire Chief Richard Edwards told a press conference on Monday that the blaze was "human-caused."
More than 900 firefighters were tackling the blaze, using fire engines, helicopters and bulldozers, working to clear the tinder-dry brush. Teams from Australia and New Zealand joined the effort alongside colleagues from across the United States.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
