Hawk Fire Reaches 98% Containment; Crews Shift to Mop-Up as Firefighter Count Drawn Down

Nevada's Hawk Fire, burning northwest of Reno since Aug. 22 amid extended drought and record heat linked to the intensifying El Niño, reached 98% containment on 15,085 acres with no overnight acreage growth. Crews found little remaining heat along the eastern and northern perimeter and shifted operations to suppression repair and mop-up on the western side over the following 24-48 hours. Personnel assigned to the Type 1 incident were drawn down from 249 to 208 as the threat eased. A light rain shower on Aug. 28 helped moderate fire behavior but left access roads muddy. The fire has destroyed 47 homes and one commercial building and caused one fatality; officials say it was human-caused.