Nearly 90,000 told to evacuate as wildfire approaches Reno, Nevada

Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate from an area close to Reno, Nevada, as a large wildfire reached the outskirts of the city.

Around 42,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes immediately, with a further 45,000 people urged to get ready to leave.

The fire, which was first reported on Saturday morning, had so far injured six people, officials said. Windy and unpredictable weather conditions have contributed to its spread.

Nevada’s Governor Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and ordered the National Guard to join firefighting and law enforcement efforts.

“This is an active and rapidly evolving situation and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant and follow the direction of local officials,” he said.

The fire was caused by humans and first reported at 11:15 local time (18:15 GMT) on Saturday, according to local officials.

The Washoe emergency information centre said around 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) had been burned.

It said that, as of Sunday lunchtime, no part of the fire’s perimeter had yet been contained.

Around 13,700 homes were inside the evacuation area, local emergency services said, with two shelters set up to take in displaced residents.

Of the six injured, three were emergency responders fighting the fire.

All Washoe County schools will be closed on Monday, except one, and mass road closures are in place.
The immediate “go now” evacuation zone and wider “get set” area – where people are being warned to prepare to evacuate – do not extend to the centre of Reno, but do affect large urban areas and part of a highway.

The University of Nevada in Reno – which has its main campus in the city, outside of but close to the “get set” warning area – said regular campus operations would continue but that it was monitoring the situation.

Large air tankers and helicopters have been flying over the area dropping water and fire retardants.

The blaze has been been named the Hawk Fire because it was first reported near the Hawk Meadow Trail, to the west of Reno.

Reno, in western Nevada, is located close to the state boundary with California and has a population of around 280,000 people.

Wildfires are common in south-western US states, including Nevada, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are currently three large fires in the state, out of a total of 79 nationwide.

However, many of these fires develop in rural and less populated areas, with only a few encroaching on population centres.

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By BBC News