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

RENO — Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate from an area close to Reno, Nevada, as a fast-moving wildfire exploded to more than 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) on Sunday, pushing from the Sierra foothills toward the center of the city.Nearly 90,000 residents are under orders to evacuate as flames threatened neighborhoods and reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus.The Hawk fire’s “GO NOW” evacuation zone had expanded to the edge of the university campus as strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation fueled the blaze, according to Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue in Reno. Of those urged to evacuate, 42,000 were under strict orders to leave their homes immediately. An additional 45,000 people were in the evacuation warning zone, and encouraged to leave now and be prepared to stay away for several days to clear the roads for first-responders.“If you have been told to evacuate, please don’t wait!” Hillary Schieve, Reno’s mayor, said in a statement posted on social media on Saturday night. “Structures have already been burned in this fire and your life is more important than a building. Evacuating before the fire arrives also allows our firefighters to focus their efforts on battling the blaze.”The fire, which was first reported on Saturday morning, had so far injured six people, officials said. Authorities confirmed three civilians and three first responders had been injured in the fire and several structures have been destroyed. Officials said the fire was human-caused but did not provide additional details on how the fire was started, saying it was under investigation.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.They said that, as of Sunday evening, the fire had burned around 10,500 acres and was 0% contained.Around 13,700 homes were inside the evacuation area, local emergency services said, with two shelters set up to take in displaced residents.All Washoe County schools will be closed on Monday, except one, and mass road closures are in place.Reno, in western Nevada, is located close to the state boundary with California and has a population of around 280,000 people.