00:26A fast-moving wildfire is now
00:29threatening the renal area in Nevada, and authorities are warning nearly 90,000 people
00:35to evacuate or prepare to leave their homes. The rapidly growing blaze, known as the Hawk Fire,
00:43began on Saturday, but within hours it spread across around 20 square miles or 53 square
00:50kilometers near Peavine Peak. The fire has now triggered a state of emergency in Washoe County.
00:57Around 42,000 people are already under evacuation orders, while another 45,000 are in an adjacent
01:05evacuation warning zone. Officials are urging people in both areas to leave or be prepared
01:11to leave immediately, because changing and strengthening winds could make the fire even
01:17more unpredictable. And firefighters are facing extremely difficult conditions.
01:22The blaze has been spreading so quickly that it reportedly jumped over fire trucks,
01:29making it harder for crews to reach and contain hotspots. Several structures have already been
01:34destroyed, and six people have been injured, three civilians and three first responders.
01:41Authorities say the fire appears to be human-caused, but the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
01:47Meanwhile, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency and mobilized
01:54the Nevada National Guard to support the firefighting operation. Two helicopter crews are being used
02:01for aerial firefighting, while another 60 troops have been deployed to help secure neighborhoods
02:07that have been evacuated. The crisis has also disrupted essential services. Nearly 10,000 customers remain
02:14without power, and parts of U.S. Route 395, a major north-south highway, have been closed because of the
02:22fire.
02:23Evacuees are being directed to emergency shelters, including the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
02:30Separate shelters have also been arranged for animals.
02:33But the wildfire threat is not limited to Reno.
02:37Nevada reported 15 new fires on Saturday alone,
02:41while other wildfires earlier this month forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate communities
02:47across the state. And the situation around Reno remains fluid.
02:52Two hospitals have already evacuated patients, while authorities are monitoring conditions to decide
02:59whether the county jail might also need to be evacuated.
03:02For now, officials are urging residents in threatened areas to take evacuation warnings seriously.
03:09Because with the winds shifting and the fire spreading rapidly,
03:14authorities say conditions can change with very little warning.
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