Hawk Fire Evacuations Swell Past 40,000 as Nevada Blaze Grows to 15,000 Acres

The Hawk Fire burning in northwest Reno, Nevada grew to roughly 15,000 acres, prompting one of the largest wildfire evacuations in the US this year — around 42,000 people ordered to evacuate and another 45,000 warned they may need to leave. At least 32 homes have been destroyed and six people injured (three first responders, three civilians) as shifting, strengthening winds made the fire's spread unpredictable. The blaze adds to a record-breaking 2026 US wildfire season that has now burned more than 7.8 million acres nationally — 168% of the 10-year average — with officials and climate scientists linking the extended dryness and heat to the intensifying El Niño pattern.