The Hawk Fire started near Somersett in the foothills of northwest Reno about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, and fire in Reno quickly grew to 30 to 40 acres. Watch Duty reported the fire was spreading rapidly as evacuation orders went out for nearby neighborhoods.
Authorities ordered people out of areas surrounding Peavine Peak and north of homes along Somersett Parkway, Avenida de Landa and Las Brisas Boulevard. The fire started about 1 mile north of Cold Creek Trail, and Watch Duty said it more than doubled in size in less than 25 minutes.
Somersett and Peavine Peak
Incident Command reported that structures were threatened as the fire expanded through the afternoon. That put residents near the named roads and the area around Peavine Peak into a fast-moving evacuation zone, with little time between the first report and the wider response.
Somersett sits in the foothills of northwest Reno, which left the fire close to homes as it spread. The scale was still modest by wildfire standards, but the speed of growth made the evacuation orders the immediate issue for anyone in the path.
National Weather Service warning
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning on Saturday for much of northwestern Nevada and several counties in northeastern California. It said southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph were expected through 11 p.m. Saturday, with gusts up to 40 mph and humidity as low as 12%.
“The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them.”
That weather window helps explain why the Hawk Fire could expand so quickly after it started. For people near Somersett Parkway, Avenida de Landa and Las Brisas Boulevard, the practical step was to follow evacuation orders and stay clear of the threatened area while crews worked the fire edge.
Cold Creek Trail area
The fire began about 1 mile north of Cold Creek Trail, then more than doubled in size in less than 25 minutes. The remaining question is what caused the Hawk Fire to start there, as crews faced both rapid growth and the weather conditions that favored more fire movement before containment.
