Firefighters make progress against Reno wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes, thousands still under evacuation orders

Firefighters on Monday made significant progress against a fast-moving fire near Reno, Nev., that had burned dozens of homes and had threatened to spread into more neighborhoods earlier in the day.

The Hawk Fire, which began on Saturday, grew to more than 15,000 acres as it was fueled by strong winds and rugged terrain that impeded efforts to keep the blaze from spreading to residential areas over the weekend. More favorable conditions allowed firefighters to largely stop the spread of the blaze and achieve 27% containment, officials said.

"The threat has diminished significantly," Pete Briant, a division chief with the Reno Fire Department, said during a press conference Monday afternoon.

Firefighters have largely been able to eliminate the threat to communities along the fire's southern perimeter, which has allowed some residents who were evacuated from the area to return to their homes. As of 2 p.m. local time Monday, 23,000 people were still under evacuation orders and another 40,000 were under evacuation warnings, officials said.

The fire continues to pose some danger to neighborhoods along its northern perimeter, where fire crews have still not been able to establish any containment.

So far, authorities have confirmed that 32 homes have been destroyed by the blaze, though that number is expected to increase, Chief Richard Edwards of the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said Monday afternoon.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency on Saturday, urging residents to "remain vigilant and follow the direction of local officials." Nearly all schools in Washoe County were closed Monday as a result of the fire. The Washoe County Sheriff's Department has also ordered dozens of road closures in the area and partially shut down a major highway north of the city.

A total of seven injuries have been reported — four civilians and three fire personnel. There have been no reports of serious injuries or deaths caused by the fire.

Authorities said the fire was caused by humans , but have not provided specifics on how it started or whether it may have been lit deliberately. That matter remains under investigation, Edwards said.

County officials said earlier Monday that more than 700 personnel were actively working to contain the fire, including 14 fire crews, 95 engines and 10 helicopters. They reported that firefighters had "made progress" in keeping the blaze from spreading despite "extreme fire behavior" fueled by strong winds, high temperatures and extremely dry brush in certain areas.

Extreme fire conditions are expected to continue for at least the next 48 hours, which could allow the fire to continue to spread to the northeast and northwest, potentially into neighborhoods north of Highway 395.

Authorities have not said how many structures have been burned so far.

Reno is the second city in the western United States this month to see homes lost and mass evacuations due to out-of-control wildfires. In early August, a trio of fires burning simultaneously near Spokane, Wash., forced 60,000 people to evacuate, destroyed more than 800 homes and caused in excess of $1 billion in damage.

Across the U.S., there have been more than 50,000 wildfires that have collectively burned more 7.8 million acres of wildland so far this year. That's already substantially more than the average number of fires and acres destroyed annually over the past 10 years with more than four months left in 2026, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Cari Kiefer, a Reno resident who shared a video of her family's home burning on social media, told the Associated Press that she and her husband rushed to save whatever possessions they could before the blaze consumed their house.

"I kept looking outside and the flames just kept getting closer and closer every time I looked," Kieffer said. "I was like, we gotta go like now."

After the fire had passed through, only a scorched basketball hoop remained standing in the spot where their home once stood.

"I woke up this morning and just started crying — all my kids, they lost everything," Kieffer said Sunday. "We lost all our stuff. Everything we own is gone."