Residents of the Reno area were warned to prepare for rapid growth of the Davis Fire amid hot and windy weather.
Evacuations have been in effect since shortly after the fire was reported on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 7, in a park south of Reno.
As of Tuesday morning, it had burned 5,596 acres (8.7 square miles) with no containment, said fire managers for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Fourteen buildings were “known to be impacted,” the Forest Service said.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a red-flag warning indicating a “particularly dangerous situation” — a status the agency said was last issued in 2019. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, hot and windy weather, with gusts up to 40 mph, is forecast for the Sierra front near Reno.
The agency advised residents to be prepared to evacuate and to avoid activities — such as yardwork or target shooting — that might cause sparks.
The Davis Fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and first evacuations were called that afternoon for Washoe City and the Montreux and Galena Forest neighborhoods. An emergency declaration from Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office said about 20,000 people were evacuated.
Interstate 580 between Reno and Carson City was closed for about 24 hours after the fire crossed the roadway. Mount Rose Highway remained closed Tuesday, as did a stretch of Old Highway 395 in the Washoe City area.
The map above shows the approximate perimeter as a black line and the evacuation area in red. For updates, see the Perimeter evacuation map or the Washoe County sheriff‘s Facebook page.
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