Nevada wildfire contained to 27 percent as thousands still displaced

By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press. Published On 25 Aug 202625 Aug 2026.

Key points

• Nationwide wildfires have topped 50, 000 this year, marking a 10-year high for the same period, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
• Reno is southwest of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival.
• Resident Crystal Hallock, 53, has lost her home to a fire twice in under a decade.
• Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam remarked he understands that some residents are frustrated that they can't secure home, but the danger isn't over yet.
• "We are making progress, " assured US Forest Service District Ranger Matt Zumstein.

Fire containment has reached 27 percent in the rampant wildfire that first erupted in the Sierra Nevada foothills near the city of Reno in the state of Nevada in the United States. At least seven individuals – three first responders and four civilians – have been injured.

For context, the blaze first broke out on Saturday and exploded in size by Sunday, destroying at least 32 homes and damaging six as it spread perilously close to dense neighbourhoods. Local authorities, speaking at an afternoon news briefing on Monday, stated those numbers are sure to rise as assessment teams commence to survey the charred areas.

They additionally stated the fire had no new expansion and has held steady at concerning 60 square kilometres (23 square miles) since it burned out of control on Sunday.

Videos posted on social media indicated the smouldering ruins of homes and cars, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.

By Monday, the number of residents under evacuation orders and warnings was lowered to regarding 63, 000, down from more than 90, 000 residents when the blaze first mushroomed over the weekend. While winds have eased, there are still reservations that gusts could propel the flames through dry brush into newly developed neighbourhoods in Nevada's largest city outside of metro Las Vegas. Reno is home to regarding 280, 000 residents.

Schools throughout the local area were closed as of the evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews.

'Like nothing I've seen before': Reno faces third wildfire in two weeks.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve remarked the way the fire spread so swiftly at its peak had her fearing for the worst.

"It lit up these areas like nothing I've seen before, " she remarked Monday, adding, "it took your breath away, in the worst way".

This is the third sizeable wildfire in the craggy, high-desert region north of Reno in just the past two weeks – driven completely by human behaviour, according to fire office-holders. They have not disclosed whether the Hawk Fire. It is what the blaze is known as due to having began near the Hawk Meadow Trail, was intentionally set or accidental. Much of the area that burned was sagebrush and grass.

Resident Crystal Hallock, 53, has lost her home to a fire twice in under a decade. She moved into the rebuilt house in 2019, a year after an electrical fire burned it down.

Nevada's governor rapidly declared a state of emergency in Washoe County over the weekend after mobilising the National Guard to assist with aerial firefighting and protecting evacuated neighbourhoods northwest of downtown Reno. But at one roadblock, residents expressed frustration that they could not obtain back into their homes, according to The Associated Press news agency.

"There's no fire here! Why are the National Guard here?" a driver yelled.

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam remarked he understands that some residents are frustrated that they can't secure home, but the danger isn't over yet. "It just takes that little breeze and one ember, " he remarked.

Reno is southwest of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival. It begins on August 30.

Plenty of who travel to Burning Man produce Reno a regular pit stop. While being mindful of closures, organisers on Monday requested that attendees not take hotel rooms and other resources away from fire evacuees.

"Treat our neighbors, first responders, hospitality workers and everyone affected by this emergency with patience and care, " a Burning Man statement read. Western wildfire risk stays high.

Much of Nevada's western edge is under an rose risk of wildfires this week as of high winds and low relative humidity, the National Interagency Fire Center noted. The National Weather Service notes the region will see warm, dry and breezy conditions, and that critical fire weather conditions are feasible in the week's latter half. Reno sits at an elevation of 1, 370 metres (4, 500 feet).

Extremely dry conditions throughout the American West have sparked a rash of wildfires this summer. Fires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60, 000 individuals in the Spokane area in early August.

In short, nevada wildfire contained to 27 percent as thousands still displaced is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.