Fast-growing Hawk Fire grows to 13,000 acres near Reno, spurs 42,000 evacuations

A fast-moving, out-of-control brush fire that kicked up on a hillside in Northern Nevada just outside Reno on Saturday has exploded to more than 13,000 acres and is threatening hundreds of homes, authorities said on Sunday.

A preliminary investigation has found that the Hawk Fire was human-caused, authorities said at a news conference on Sunday. They did not immediately release details on how the fire ignited.

About 90,000 people have been affected by the wildfire, including 42,000 who have been forced to evacuate their homes and another 45,000 people who have been warned to be prepared to evacuate, officials said.

The fire was zero percent contained as of Sunday afternoon.

About 1,000 firefighters and other first responders are battling the fire, officials said.

 “This fire is far from over. It’s a dangerous place to be,” a state Forest Service official said at Sunday’s news conference.

At least three civilians and three first responders have been injured by the fire, officials said.

Approximately 1,000 homes were initially threatened by the fire, according to an earlier update from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. 

The number of homes destroyed or damaged remained unclear on Sunday. Officials said unsafe conditions have prevented them from getting a clear damage assessment.

The fire was moving in the direction of heavily populated urban areas, authorities said.

In a statement on social media on Saturday evening, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said the fire was “spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures” and said he had declared a state of emergency for Washoe County as firefighters and emergency crews respond to the blaze.

“The Hawk Fire is a very dynamic incident for us as it’s being driven by the winds,” said Truckee Meadows Fire Chief Richard Edwards in a video posted to social media. “The wind-driven fires move very rapidly into our residential areas, creating a lot of challenges for our firefighters to save homes and protect lives.”

He urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders, leave early if directed and have a go-bag ready.

Northwest Specialty Hospital in Reno announced Sunday that due to the Hawk fire it was evacuating patients from the facility “out of an abundance of caution.”

“Patients have been safely transported to appropriate locations where their care will continue without interruption – no patients or staff remain in the building,” the statement said.

The fire weather threat was lower for the West as of early Sunday, but remained near-elevated for parts of the Northwest into the northern Rockies.

Highs across parts of the West will be in the 90s today into the new workweek, including Reno, Salt Lake City, and Boise. Red Flag Warnings are only up for small areas of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. However, these warnings cover areas that have been hit by recent wildfires, including Spokane.

Earlier, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue in Washoe County, Nevada, said the fire was moving Northeast as of Saturday evening, according to a social media post.

Thousands of customers were without power and part of the U.S. 395 highway was closed.

Northern Nevada Health Systems said it had temporarily closed the emergency room at North Valleys north of Reno due to evacuations.

“My heart goes out to anyone in our community who has been impacted by the dangerous and fast-moving Hawk Fire,” Reno Mayor Hillary Shieve said in a statement on social media, urging residents to evacuate if told to do so and saying some structures had already burned.

The statement added: “Our firefighters and first responders are heroically fighting the fire and the high winds to save lives, homes, businesses, livestock and pets.”

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said it was monitoring the fire as it burns near the county detention center. 

ABC News’ Kyle Reiman contributed to this report.