Authorities in Nevada, in the western United States (US), asked tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes due to a fast-moving wildfire threatening the city of Reno.
Approximately 42,000 people had already left their homes by Sunday, and another 45,000 received orders to prepare to leave, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve told American broadcaster CNN.
The fire, which broke out on Saturday, had already burned 6,087 hectares by Sunday afternoon and was burning eight kilometers northwest of Reno, a metropolitan area with more than 280,000 residents.
The flames have destroyed homes situated on mountain peaks and injured six people, including three firefighters, according to local media reports. The fire, named “Hawk,” exhibited “extreme behavior,” according to the government portal InciWeb, which gathers information on wildfires across the country. Photos posted online by firefighters showed towering flames and plumes of smoke atop the mountains overlooking the city.
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Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County on Sunday and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting efforts with two helicopter crews and 60 soldiers to assist police in securing evacuated neighborhoods.
Civil protection officials opened the Reno-Sparks Convention Center for people who had to be evacuated from their homes. Small and large animals had to be left at two separate locations.
The fire intensified significantly, fueled by strong winds and gusts, low humidity, and dry vegetation, according to a statement from Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue, which joined the firefighting effort from across the California border. Reno is located in northwestern Nevada, near the California border and the Lake Tahoe resort area in the Sierra Nevada.
Local Fire Chief Richard Edwards urged residents to be ready to flee immediately if they receive an evacuation order. “The Hawk fire is a very dynamic event for us because it is wind-driven. Wind-driven fires spread very quickly toward our residential areas,” he warned.
