Tag: Wildfire Risk

Fast-growing Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada forces thousands to evacuate

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A fast-growing wildfire spread from the Sierra foothills toward the center of Reno early Sunday, as approximately 90,000 residents were urged to evacuate. The fire has been burning across a rugged section of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest, where Peavine Mountain is ringed by homes and businesses on the Nevada side of the California state line, and some of these homes have been consumed by the flames.  Six people, including three responders, have been injured, officials said Sunday.

The “GO NOW” zone, where 42,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus as the Hawk Fire grew to more than 13,000 acres. An additional 45,000 people were in the evacuation warning zone and encouraged to leave now and be prepared to stay away for several days to clear the roads for first responders. As of Sunday morning, the Hawk Fire was 0% contained and was moving in different directions as the winds changed, complicating the fight. The fire is believed to have been caused by a human, but the investigation is ongoing, authorities said Sunday. Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting with two helicopter crews as well as 60 troops to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods.

“This is an active and rapidly evolving situation, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant and follow the direction of local officials,” Lombardo said in a statement posted on social media. “The state is fully engaged, and we are working alongside local authorities and first responders to deploy every available resource to protect lives, safeguard communities, and keep Nevadans out of harm’s way.” The fire apparently began Saturday and grew significantly throughout the day, fueled by strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation, according to a statement from Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue. “The Hawk Fire is a very dynamic incident for us as it’s being driven by the winds,” Richard Edwards, chief of Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue in Washoe County, said 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.” The fire zone is surrounded by neighborhoods, and nearly 10,000 homes and businesses were without power in Washoe County on Sunday. Portions of U.S. Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed due to the fire. Reno has a population of more than 280,000 residents. Classes in all but one school in the Washoe County School District will be canceled on Monday due to “evacuations, impacts on regional public safety resources, and to help keep roads clear for emergency vehicles,” district officials announced. “If you have been told to evacuate, please don’t wait!” Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said in a statement posted on social media late Saturday night. “Structures have already been burned in this fire and your life is more important than a building.

Evacuating before the fire arrives also allows our firefighters to focus their efforts on battling the blaze.” Casinos in Reno offered discounts on hotel rooms to evacuees. Washoe County, Nevada, emergency officials opened the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to evacuees, but said they couldn’t bring their pets — small animals and large animals were to be left at two other locations. The Northwest Specialty Hospital in Washoe County said it has evacuated all patients out of an abundance of caution. “The safety and well-being of our patients and staff remain our highest priority,” the Northern Nevada Health System said in a statement on social media. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport was outside the evacuation zone. Commercial flights at the airport were unaffected Sunday.

The smaller Reno-Stead Airport was closed to general aviation traffic due to the Hawk Fire, but remained open to firefighting aircraft. Earlier this month, three wildfires fueled by hot, dry and windy conditions north of Reno forced more than 13,000 residents from their homes, according to the Nevada National Guard.

Source: Fast-growing Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada forces thousands to evacuate – CBS News

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
Galatians 6:1

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San Jose brush fire burns near homes before progress stopped

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firefighters standing on the grass

A brush fire burned close to homes in San Jose on Friday before firefighters stopped its forward progress. The fire burned in the Communications Hill area of South San Jose near the Sunshine Hill Cross and began at around 11:15 a.m. The San Jose Fire Department said it burned about seven acres close to the Chateau La Salle mobile home park. The fire’s forward progress was stopped at 12:03 p.m., the Fire Department said.  No structures were burned and there were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined.

Source: San Jose brush fire burns near homes before progress stopped – CBS San Francisco

A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Proverbs 18:16

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Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks ahead of July Fourth as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire

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Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States’ largest wildfire expanded its reach across more tinder-dry forest, as crews rush to fight new blazes in the arid state. The National Weather Service issued a rare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning as dry, windy conditions provided fuel for more fires across the western U.S. The Cottonwood Fire in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah started Monday. It ballooned to more than 112 square miles by Friday, burning unchecked as strong winds grounded air support, forestry officials said.

One of six large wildfires burning in Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, forcing mandatory evacuations.  As of Friday evening, Utah had 10 active wildfires burning across more than 144,700 acres, according to the state’s wildfire dashboard. The Cottonwood Fire had burned nearly 72,000 acres and is at 0% containment.  “We have the 35 miles-per-hour sustained winds that they predicted, and we definitely have the 45 miles-per-hour gusts,” said Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson assigned to the fire. “So there has been a great increase in the fire activity. We are seeing extreme fire behavior out there with some crown runs and definitely some spotting.”

The smoke has been pushing to the east and northeast, meaning air quality at popular vacation spots like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks — located far south of the flames — hasn’t been significantly affected beyond some haze in the Bryce area. Still, visitors to Bryce have posted videos on social media showing the giant plume in the distance. The smoke could be seen for hundreds of miles, all the way to Colorado, as authorities put roughly 1,300 residents in the towns of Marysvale, Junction and Circleville on notice that they should be prepared to leave if conditions worsen and the fire pushes farther.  State forester Jamie Barnes had said Thursday that it’s like nothing seen in recent memory. She said fires are spreading farther and faster “under conditions that defy historical expectations.”

Bruce Brown, 76, accompanied the sheriff on Thursday to find that his cabin and others in the area were gone. He found a burned-out moonscape with power poles tipped over along the canyon. Alyssa Olsen, 27, said her family’s cabin also burned. It was the last place they gathered for family photos with her grandmother before she died of cancer. Her brother was planning to get married there in two months. “That stuff you can’t just build back,” Olsen said. Gov. Spencer Cox set the temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5 as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, saying “this year is different.” The weather service in Salt Lake City, for the first time in the office’s history, issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning for five Utah counties, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire.

The rare alert was first used to warn of tornado conditions. A red flag warning was also issued for most of the state. “Prepare now for rapid fire growth,” it said. A similar “dangerous situation” warning had been issued for the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of sparking that fire. The jury said it couldn’t agree on a verdict. While the Cottonwood Fire’s cause was unknown, Cox’s order noted that humans have been the cause of most fires in the state so far this year. Utah has seen 376 wildfires this year, and 273 of those were caused by humans, according to Utah’s wildfire data.

wildfire spreads through poprad woodlands

The governor’s order gives Barnes power to restrict or prohibit fireworks displays in Utah’s cities and towns, instead of leaving those decisions to the communities. With extreme fire conditions persisting, Rocky Mountain Power issued a public safety power shut-off watch/warning for areas of central, southern and eastern Utah through the weekend. Crews were also battling the Iron Fire southwest of Salt Lake City. The flames on Thursday forced the temporary evacuation of Eureka, population 1,000. Red flag warnings, which mean conditions such as low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk, were in effect Friday and stretched from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico.

The warnings extended into Saturday, with forecasters predicting winds of 25 to 35 miles an hour and very low humidity levels. The worst conditions were expected from northern Arizona into central and southern Utah. Much of Utah already is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Tim Brown, a research professor and director of the Western Regional Climate Center, said the potential for extreme fire behavior will remain as long as it’s hot, dry and windy. “I would not be surprised to see a lot of restrictions come out as we get closer to the July Fourth weekend,” he said.

“People really need to be aware of their surroundings if they’re going to be out in the forested campground areas and grassland areas.” Even in Florida, where there have been multiple brush fires, authorities are urging people to skip the personal fireworks and instead leave the pyrotechnics to professionals putting on carefully planned shows. In Utah, federal land managers have closed public lands near the Cottonwood Fire as a precaution, and in New Mexico, forest officials closed campgrounds and trails near a wildfire burning in the Jemez Mountains. Nationally, nearly 3 million acres have burned since the start of the year, pushing the U.S. ahead of the 10-year average. The National Interagency Fire Center said firefighters are making progress on containing fires from Alaska to Florida. 

Source: Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks ahead of July Fourth as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire – CBS Colorado

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:7-8

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Northern Minnesota wildfire prompts evacuations near Burntside Lake

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photo of burning forest

Officials ordered residents to evacuate Monday afternoon as crews work to extinguish a wildfire in northern Minnesota. The U.S. Forest Service says the fire is located in the Superior National Forest northwest of the North Arm of the Burntside Lake area, approximately eight miles northwest of Ely. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said agencies initially responded to the report of black smoke coming from the north side of Birch Bay on Burntside Lake around 2:56 p.m. Evacuations are in effect in the area of Lindskog Road and the southernmost part of North Arm Road in Morse Township as a precaution, according to the sheriff’s office. On Monday afternoon and evening, fire personnel and aircraft were responding to the fire, which is estimated to be 30 acres in size. The sheriff’s office says the Forest Service will monitor it overnight and firefighting efforts will start again on Tuesday morning. As of Monday night, no structures have been lost as a result of the blaze.

Source: Northern Minnesota wildfire prompts evacuations near Burntside Lake – CBS Minnesota

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8

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Minnesota governor declares peacetime emergency, activates National Guard for wildfire response

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national guard soldiers on duty outdoors

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the National Guard to help battle several major wildfires in the state. In Crow Wing County, the Flanders Fire has grown to an estimated 1,200 acres. As of Sunday morning, it is 0% contained. Another fire, several miles north of Two Harbors, has burned more than 350 acres and is 30% contained. “Unpredictable and fast-moving wildfires are putting Minnesota communities at risk,” Walz said.

“This emergency declaration ensures we can fully mobilize the resources needed to protect lives, support evacuations, and help communities respond and recover. I’m grateful to the firefighters, members of the Minnesota National Guard, and all our first responders working around the clock to keep Minnesotans safe.” Walz says the peacetime emergency will remain in effect “until emergency conditions subside” or on June 7, whichever happens first.

Source: Minnesota governor declares peacetime emergency, activates National Guard for wildfire response – CBS Minnesota

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.
Titus 2:11-12

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Wildfire burns around 100 acres in northeastern Minnesota; evacuations advised

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burning bonfire with sparkles in darkness

Crews are working to put out a wildfire in Lake County that has burned around 100 acres, the Minnesota Incident Command System said Friday night. The blaze, identified by the agency as the Stewart Trail Fire, was detected on Friday afternoon near Lake County Highway 3 and Highway 61, north of Two Harbors, Minnesota. Officials said in a Facebook post at 8:27 p.m. that the fire was 0% contained and that multiple local, state and federal agencies were responding to it.  “

Firefighters are working to establish a containment line around the fire with handlines and heavy equipment, such as dozers, and are expected to remain engaged overnight as conditions permit,” the agency said in the social media post Friday. Evacuations have been advised between where the fire was first detected and Castle Danger Brewery, according to a map created by county officials. Officials said Highway 61 at Highway 2 and West Castle Danger Road in Lake County were closed Friday night due to the blaze, and Betty’s Pies, a popular restaurant in Two Harbors, posted on social media that it closed early on Friday. 

Source: Wildfire burns around 100 acres in northeastern Minnesota; evacuations advised – CBS Minnesota

And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1 John 4:21

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Red flag warning issued in central, northwestern Minnesota Friday afternoon

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aerial view of wildfire in south african grassland

A red flag warning will go into effect Friday afternoon in northwestern and central Minnesota due to extreme fire risk conditions, the state’s Department of Natural Resources says. The warning is issued for 24 counties and will last from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

The impacted counties include: Becker, Benton, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Mahnomen, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Wadena and Wilkin.

The DNR says it will not issue or activate burning permits during that time, and will dissuade people from starting campfires. Residents are also encouraged to check any recent burn sites to ensure the fires are completely out. “Fine fuels, such as grass and small twigs, can dry out quickly when the relative humidity is so low and wind pick up,” said Karen Harrison, DNR wildfire prevention specialist. “These fine fuels can easily ignite and start a wildfire that spreads quickly.”

Source: Red flag warning issued in central, northwestern Minnesota Friday afternoon – CBS Minnesota

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

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Dry conditions, high winds, feeding wildfire risk in parts of Michigan

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the straits of mackinac under the mackinac bridge

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says elevated fire danger has been observed across parts of the state.  The conditions are fueled by downed trees and branches left by the March 2025 ice storm. The severe weather at the time damaged around 3 million acres of land. “Even with the heavy rains this spring, recent drier weather in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Michigan means that last year’s grasses and leaves are becoming dry and will readily burn,” said Paul Rogers, fire prevention specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.  “In the ice storm area from last spring, the downed wood has been on the ground for a year, is starting to dry out, and can contribute to much hotter and more dangerous conditions if a fire gets started. While the temperatures have dropped, we are expecting to see elevated fire danger continue as we get closer to the weekend.” 

Source: Dry conditions, high winds, feeding wildfire risk in parts of Michigan – CBS Detroit

Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
1 Corinthians 10:24

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