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US firefighters say major blaze near Reno about a quarter contained

Ben Hattonand
Max Matza
Plumes of smoke seen over Reno as thousands evacuate due to wildfires

US fire crews have reported progress in their efforts to tackle a large wildfire menacing the city of Reno, Nevada - saying the blaze is about a quarter contained.

The Hawk Fire, which began on Saturday, had spread over 15,000 acres by Monday, firefighters said.

Evacuation orders remain in place for 23,000 people, though other residents have now been allowed to return to their homes. Tens of thousands of other residents have been told to be ready to leave at any moment.

Officials are concerned that gusts of wind could drive the flames towards more homes. Unfavourable weather conditions are forecast for the next two days, meaning the fire could continue to burn during that timeframe.

No deaths have been reported, though seven people have been injured.

The fire, which was first reported on Saturday morning, spread in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Reno due to those same windy and unpredictable weather conditions.

The immediate "go now" evacuation zone and wider "get set" area - where people are being warned to prepare to evacuate - do not extend to the centre of Reno, but they do affect large urban areas and part of a highway.

Large air tankers and helicopters have been flying over the affected area dropping water and fire retardants.

In their update on Monday afternoon, fire officials said the blaze had been at least 27% contained.

Chief Richard Edwards, of the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, said those injured were four civilians and three firefighters, who suffered minor burns.

Edwards added that 32 homes had been destroyed and six damaged, and that those numbers were expected to increase. Shelters have been set up in the area to take in displaced residents.

While firefighters have made progress, more than two-thirds of the fire's perimeter remains uncontained.

The fire is thought to have been caused by humans. Edwards added on Monday that investigators did not yet know if the blaze was set intentionally.

Scientists say that human-induced climate change makes the warm, dry conditions more likely that assist the rapid spread of wildfires.

Reno's average temperature has gone up by over 4C since the 1970s, faster than any other big US city, according to Climate Central.

Nevada's Governor Joe Lombardo earlier declared a state of emergency in surrounding 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 on Saturday.

Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand have so far taken part in the containment effort – as well as crews from 15 US states.

Getty Images Two people look over what appears to be a domestic fence. They are looking at where smoke is rising from hills in the backgroundGetty Images
Reuters/Nevada National Guard An image taken from a video shows a National Guard member in a helicopter - in the background outside are flames and smoke billowingReuters/Nevada National Guard
The Nevada National Guard said 72 personnel, one Chinook and one Black Hawk helicopter had joined the response

The University of Nevada in Reno - which has its main campus in the city close to the "get set" warning area - previously said regular campus operations would continue but that it was monitoring the situation.

But one student, James Wolfgang Perez, said some teaching staff had independently decided to cancel their classes. The sight of the fire spreading in the direction of the campus on Saturday had been "apocalyptic", he told the BBC.

Justin Davis, 29, lives on Peavine Mountain, close to Reno, and similarly watched as the fire spread towards his home on Saturday and destroyed four of his vehicles.

He told the BBC he had previously bought a water truck in case a wildfire like this occurred and had used it to save his home.

"We turned on the water truck and just started spraying down the things we wanted to save," he said.

Justin Davis Bright orange flames can be seen ripping through a hilly landscape in this eyewitness image, while huge plumes of smoke can be seen in the sky aboveJustin Davis
Justin Davis, who lives close to Reno, said his neighbour's properties were "completely levelled" by the fire
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.

The blaze has been been named the Hawk Fire because it was first reported near the Hawk Meadow Trail, to the west of Reno.

Reno, in western Nevada, is located close to the state boundary with California and has a population of around 280,000 people.

Wildfires are common in south-western US states, including Nevada, and are becoming more severe, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Many of these fires develop in rural and less populated areas, with only a few encroaching on population centres.

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