Fire Near Reno, Nev., Prompts Evacuations of Homes and Hospitals

A wildfire burning in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and moving toward Reno, Nev., has forced thousands of evacuations, shuttered two hospitals and prompted emergency declarations from state officials.

The blaze, known as the Hawk fire, has grown to more than 10,000 acres since Saturday without any containment and has encroached on the outskirts of Reno, a city of almost 300,000 people near the California border.

Around 14,000 homes are under evacuation orders. All of the properties are northwest of downtown, according to Washoe County. Gov. Joe Lombardo has issued a state of emergency in the county, which includes Reno and parts of Lake Tahoe, and activated the Nevada National Guard.

“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,” Governor Lombardo said in a statement late Saturday.

More than a dozen roadways have been closed because of the flames, according to local officials.

Two Northern Nevada Health System medical centers have evacuated patients and closed in response to the fires, according to Jamii Uboldi, the system’s public information officer.

“The safety and well-being of our rehabilitation and behavioral health patients and staff remain the highest priority and we are evacuating out of an abundance of caution,” the Northern Nevada Medical Center said in a statement regarding the closure of Northwest Specialty Hospital.

The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority closed the Reno-Stead Airport to “general air traffic,” officials said in a statement on Sunday. Reno-Tahoe International Airport remains open.

Around 400 emergency responders from local, state and federal agencies are combating the blaze. The Nevada National Guard sent Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to support response efforts. Sixty National Guard Response Force personnel are assisting local law enforcement “in safeguarding evacuated neighborhoods,” the National Guard said.

Aerial and ground crews worked overnight to stanch the fire, local officials said.

The cause remains unclear, but the cocktail of extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds aided the Hawk fire’s growth.

Wildfires have ripped through portions of the American West, propelled by high temperatures and drought.

In Washington State, more than 400,000 acres have succumbed this wildfire season, and hundreds of homes were burned in Spokane County.

In Oregon, a record 2.4 million acres have burned in 2026, according to state authorities.

There are 44 active fires in Nevada, burning nearly 250,000 acres; and in Utah, ongoing fires have consumed more than 350,000 acres, according to state agencies.

“The Hawk fire is a very dynamic incident for us, as it’s being driven by the winds,” said Richard Edwards, fire chief at Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, one of the emergency response teams fighting the blaze.

“The wind-driven fires move very rapidly into our residential areas, creating a lot of challenges for our firefighters to save homes and protect lives,” he added.

Conditions may ease on Sunday, with winds generally forecast for five to 10 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service, though they could reach 20 m.p.h.