Firefighters make progress against a Nevada wildfire that's destroyed
more than 30 homes
[August 25, 2026]
By HAVEN DALY and JOHN SEEWER
RENO, Nevada (AP) — Crews have started to contain a wildfire in the
Sierra Nevada foothills near Reno, Nevada, that destroyed more than 30
homes as it spread perilously close to dense neighborhoods, officials
said Monday.
Containment reached 27% and there was no new growth of the Hawk Fire,
which has held steady at about 23 square miles (60 square kilometers)
since it burned out of control on Sunday, authorities said at an
afternoon news briefing.
“We are making progress,” said U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Matt
Zumstein.
The number of residents under evacuation orders and warnings was reduced
to about 63,000, down from more than 90,000 people when the blaze
mushroomed over the weekend. While winds have eased, there's still
concern that gusts could push the flames through dry brush into newly
developed neighborhoods in Nevada's largest city outside of metro Las
Vegas.
Firefighters are also contending with hot temperatures and low humidity.
At least 32 homes have burned and six are damaged, but authorities said
those numbers are sure to rise as assessment teams begin to survey the
charred areas.
Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said the way the fire spread so quickly at
its height had her fearing for the worst.
“It lit up these areas like nothing I’ve seen before,” she said Monday.
“It took your breath away, in the worst way.”
Hawk Fire triggers evacuations and school closures
Schools across Washoe County were closed Monday because of the
evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews. Nevada's
governor declared a state of emergency in the county and mobilized the
National Guard to help with aerial firefighting and protecting evacuated
neighborhoods northwest of downtown Reno.
At one roadblock, residents expressed frustration Monday that they could
not get back into their homes.
"There’s no fire here! Why are the National Guard here?” a driver
yelled.
Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said he understands that some
residents are frustrated that they can’t get home but the danger isn’t
over yet. “It just takes that little breeze and one ember,” he said.
Wildfires near Reno are blamed on human activity
The fire near the California state line began Saturday and exploded in
size on Sunday. At least seven people — three first responders and four
civilians — have been injured.
This is the third large wildfire in the rugged terrain north of Reno in
the past two weeks — all caused by human activity, according to fire
officials. They haven't said whether the Hawk Fire was intentionally set
or accidental. Much of the area that burned was sagebrush and grass.
Reno, home to about 280,000 people, is known for its casinos and as a
gateway to nearby Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake and a
popular vacation destination. It's also southwest of Nevada’s Black Rock
Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival, which begins next
Sunday.
Many who travel to Burning Man make Reno a regular stop. Organizers on
Monday asked attendees to not take hotel rooms and other resources away
from fire evacuees, while being mindful of closures.
“Treat our neighbors, first responders, hospitality workers and everyone
affected by this emergency with patience and care,” a Burning Man
statement said.
Fire claims a Reno woman's home for a second time
Videos posted on social media showed the smoldering ruins of homes and
cars, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.
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This image taken from video shows a charred neighborhood following
wildfires Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Reno, Nevada. (Tim Walton via
AP)
Crystal Hallock, 53, lost her home to fire for a second time in less
than a decade. She moved into the rebuilt house in 2019, a year
after an electrical fire burned it down.
On Saturday, with a giant plume of smoke and flames visible on the
nearby mountaintop, she fled with her children, grandchildren and
pets. Her ex-husband tried to save the property and her vintage
Cadillac, grabbing a garden hose as flames melted children’s toys
and burned bushes.
She urged him over the phone to get out and feared the worst when
the line went dead. “He was saying he can’t breathe, it’s so dark I
can’t see, and I’m screaming at him, ‘Leave the car, just leave
it,’” she said Monday.
Thirty minutes later, he called to say he had gotten out with the
car. “I’m truly blessed because I have a place to stay with my
animals and my grandkids. We were all able to get out safely," she
said from a niece’s apartment in Reno.
Nevada fire spread quickly in foothills
Many residents had little time to evacuate after the fire exploded
in size.
“Honestly, I thought it was like in a movie,” said Ruby Delatorre,
who got back from a concert only to find her home in the evacuation
zone. She returned Sunday to walk to her house and get a few more
possessions.
“I literally want to cry and go back for all my stuff. I just got
what I thought I needed," Delatorre said.
Some who spotted the smoke on Saturday thought it was from another
wildfire that has been burning the past two weeks.
“The flames were pretty close to my house, and the smoke was really
thick, but we have no idea if our house survived or not,” Jon
Hanbury said Monday at Reno's convention center, which is now a
shelter.
Wildfire threat remains high in the West
Much of Nevada’s western edge is under an increased risk of
wildfires this week because of high winds and low relative humidity,
the National Interagency Fire Center said. The National Weather
Service says the region will see warm, dry and breezy conditions,
and that critical fire weather conditions are possible in the week's
later half. Reno sits at an elevation of 4,500 feet (1,370 meters).
Extremely dry conditions across the American West have sparked a
rash of wildfires this summer. Fires in eastern Washington state
forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area in early
August.
Nationwide, there have been more than 50,000 wildfires — the most
over the past 10 years covering the same time period, according to
the national fire center.
___
Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers
Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Martha Bellisle in Seattle, and
Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta contributed.
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