Summary

  • Nearly 90,000 people have been urged to evacuate their homes as a large wildfire approaches Reno, Nevada

  • The fire, which officials say was caused by people, was first reported on Saturday and windy conditions have contributed to its spread - what we know so far

  • A state of emergency has been declared in Washoe County, north-west Nevada, as Governor Joe Lombardo calls it an "active and rapidly evolving situation"

  • "It came super fast, within 20 minutes we got the alarm to get out of there," one local resident who saw the fire coming down the hill says

  • Officials say six people have been injured, including three emergency responders, and around 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) have been burned

  • Wildfires are common in south-west US states, including Nevada, but many of these fires develop in rural and less populated areas

Are you affected?

'Scared to death': Thousands evacuate Nevada homes as wildfire spreads

Live Reporting

Edited by Matt Spivey

  1. Why Nevada is at high risk from large wildfires

    Matt Taylor
    BBC Weather

    The spread of wildfires is at the mercy of the wind.

    The dominant wind direction will of course dictate where the fire goes next, and the speed of the wind determines how quickly the flames spread across the landscape.

    Large fires can almost develop their own weather systems that can cause speed and direction to fluctuate greatly. Both are huge challenges for firefighters.

    Vegetation - the fuel for the fire - is also key component to why fires spread. While the sparseness of vegetation in a traditional desert landscape would normally inhibit the spread of wildfires, invasive grasses and trees are known to fill those gaps in some areas allowing fires to spread rapidly.

    Nevada is a state at high risk from large wildfires due to the combination of its dry climate and abundance of invasive grasses.

    A 2012 study by the University of Nevada stated that it can take up to 65 years for desert ecosystems to recover following wildfire.

    A wide view of Nevada grasses and hillsGetty Images

    Northern Nevada on Sunday

  2. 'It came super fast': Locals describe evacuation as wildfire approaches

    We've been hearing from residents in Nevada who have been evacuated as a wildfire is approaching Reno.

    One woman says she is "scared to death" but is prepared to leave as soon as she is told to evacuate.

    As a reminder, around 45,000 have been urged by officials to get ready to leave.

    A man says "it came super fast, within 20 minutes we were told to get out of there and we saw the fire coming down the hill".

    You can hear more from the residents in Reno in the video below:

  3. How common are wildfires in the US?

    Matt Taylor
    BBC Weather

    Large plumes of smoke and fire coming from the mountainsGetty Images

    A fire burns through wildland vegetation south-west of Elberta, Utah on Sunday

    Wildfires are a regular occurrence in the US, especially during late summer and early autumn, with the south and the west of the country most susceptible.

    According to the National Interagency Fire Centre there are an average of around 70,000 wildfire each year.

    They also state that while there is no definite trend in the frequency of fires annually, the area of land affected each year has increased since they started tracking fires in the 1980's, with an area twice the size of California having been impacted by wildfires since 1983.

    While wildfires themselves are not caused by climate change, over 80% are started in some way by people.

    Human-induced climate change has been a key driver to increasing the risk of fire weather conditions - hotter extremes and longer lasting droughts - that help fires to take hold and spread.

  4. Emergency response to Hawk wildfire in Nevada - what we know so far

    Rachel Flynn
    Live reporter

    A helicopter flying over burning hillsides with smoke and fire rising from themGetty Images

    Fire seen raging on the dry hills outside Reno on Saturday

    A large wildfire is approaching Reno, Nevada, as nearly 90,000 people have been urged to evacuate their homes.

    The blaze was first reported on Saturday at 11:15 local time (18:15 GMT) and has been named Hawk fire after it was initially spotted near the Hawk Meadow Trail, to the west of Reno.

    Here's what you need to know:

    • Windy and unpredictable weather conditions in Nevada have contributed to the spread of the fire, which has not yet been contained
    • Six people have been injured, including three emergency responders
    • Officials say around 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) have been burned, as Nevada's Governor Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency in Washoe County
    • 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 immediate "go now" evacuation zone and wider "get set" area do not extend to the centre of Reno, but do affect large urban areas and part of a highway
    • Large air tankers and helicopters have been flying over the affected area dropping water to try and tackle the blaze
    Map showing wildfire perimeter of the Hawk Fire west of Reno, Nevada. The area shows where the fire has burned and is currently burning in the Copperfield area near Silver Lake and Reno Stead Airport, with the city of Reno to the south-east. The perimeter covers the hills to the south of the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Freeway towards Somersett. An inset map locates the fire within Nevada, in the western United States.

  5. Scorched land and smoke plumes in Nevada

    Smoke rises in the hills in Nevada near homesReuters

    Smoke rises on the hill close to these houses in Reno, Nevada

    Firefighters pack their truck after responding to a burned building during the Hawk FireGetty Images

    Emergency responders have been tackling the blaze, which has scorched around 15,000 acres (23 sq miles)

    Smoke rises from hills during the Hawk Fire burning in Washoe County, NevadaReuters

    In Washoe County - where this picture was taken on Sunday - a state of emergency has been declared

  6. 'Active and rapidly evolving situation': Nevada governor declares state of emergency

    A white man with short hair wearing a blue suit, white shirt and blue tie.Getty Images

    Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo

    In Washoe County, in north-west Nevada, the US state's governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

    In a statement, Lombardo said: "I have declared a state of emergency in Washoe County as we respond to the Hawk Fire, which is spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures."

    He told residents to "heed all warnings from local officials" and evacuate as soon as they are told to do so.

    "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," the governor added.

    "The state is fully engaged, and we are working alongside local authorities and first responders to deploy every available resource to protect lives, safeguard communities, and keep Nevadans out of harm’s way."

    A person dressed in military uniform in a helicopter as a fire rages nearby.Reuters/Nevada National Guard

    The Nevada National Guard said 72 personnel, one Chinook and one Black Hawk helicopter had joined the response

  7. Wildfire approaches Reno, Nevada, as nearly 90,000 urged to evacuate

    Kieran Kelly
    Live reporter

    A Nevada National Guard helicopter drops water on the Hawk Fire, as the wildfire burns, in RenoReuters

    A Nevada National Guard helicopter drops water on the Hawk Fire in Reno

    Tens of thousands of people have been urged to leave their homes in Reno, Nevada, as a large wildfire apporaches.

    The blaze, which has been named Hawk Fire, was first reported on Saturday and windy conditions have contributed to its spread.

    Some 42,000 people have been instructed to evacuate their homes immediately, while another 45,000 residents have been advised to prepare to leave.

    Six people have been injured including three emergency responders, officials say, and around 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) have been burned.

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

    Lombardo says the fire - which officials say has been caused by people - "is an active and rapidly evolving situation".

    We'll bring you the latest updates throughout the day, stay with us.