A fast-moving wildfire near Reno, Nevada forced roughly 90,000 people to flee their homes over the weekend, with officials blaming human activity for the blaze. The fire, named the Hawk Fire, spread quickly enough to force the evacuation of hospitals in addition to residential areas.
According to reporting by The New York Times, CNN, and other outlets, at least 465 evacuees took shelter at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with another 200 people sheltering in their vehicles outside.
Two hospitals were among the facilities forced to move patients as the fire approached. The scale of the evacuation placed it among the more serious wildfire emergencies in the region in recent memory.
Officials confirmed the fire was caused by human activity, though they did not specify the exact cause. Crews worked to slow the fire's advance as it pushed toward populated areas on the outskirts of Reno.
The Hawk Fire added to a summer of significant fire activity across the American West. Nevada, like neighboring California, has seen dry and hot conditions that accelerate the spread of wildfires once they start.
As of Sunday, firefighting efforts were ongoing and no timeline had been given for when evacuation orders might be lifted for the tens of thousands of residents displaced by the blaze.
