Davis Fire south of Reno, Nevada, burns 5,000 acres prompting widespread evacuations
Thousands of residents are under evacuation orders as the Davis Fire continues to burn in Washoe County, Nevada.
Nevada National Guard drops water on Davis Fire
Video from the Nevada National Guard shows troops dropping water to help contain the Davis Fire in Washoe County, Nevada.
RENO, Nev. – The Davis Fire near Reno, Nevada, exploded over the weekend, torching 5,000 acres as crews work to contain the blaze.
The wildfire began Saturday afternoon in the area of the Davis Creek Regional Park in the Washoe Valley and quickly began spreading as the weekend progressed. There are 600 fire personnel fighting the blaze.
Several roads in Washoe City and in mountainous areas south of Reno remain closed due to the fire's spread.
According to Washoe County government officials, a large portion of south Reno is still under evacuation. The Senior Center at the County Admin Complex in Reno is an evacuation shelter for displaced residents.
Nevada government officials said the evacuations are impacting between 12,000 and 14,000 residents.
The University of Nevada Reno canceled in-person classes on its Redfield campus Tuesday because of evacuations from the Davis Fire.
Smoke from the Davis Fire burning outside of Reno, Nevada on Sept. 9, 2024.
(Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District)
The Washoe County School District canceled classes at nine schools on Tuesday because of the Davis Fire's impact on the community and for the safety of students, staff and faculty, the school district said in a Facebook post. The district canceled classes at all of its campuses on Monday.
The National Weather Service issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Fire Weather Warning from 11 a.m. PT until 8 p.m. PT on Wednesday for western Nevada, due to gusty winds and low humidity creating dry conditions that could contribute to rapid fire spreading. Wind gusts on Tuesday could reach 30-40 mph, with Wednesday also seeing strong winds of up to 40 mph.
On Sunday, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a state of emergency declaration due to the Davis Fire's impact on residents of Washoe County.
![The Davis Fire on Sept. 7, the day it started burning,]()
Image 1 of 4The Davis Fire on Sept. 7, the day it started burning, (InciWeb)
![The Davis Fire burning in Washoe County, NV.]()
Image 2 of 4The Davis Fire burning in Washoe County, NV on Sept. 8. (InciWeb)
![Smoke from the Davis Fire in the mountains]()
Image 3 of 4Smoke from the Davis Fire in the mountains on Sept. 8. (InciWeb)
![Davis Fire shown on Sept. 8 from above]()
Image 4 of 4Davis Fire shown on Sept. 8 from above (InciWeb)
An evacuation center for large animals is open at the University of Nevada Reno Equine Facility in Reno. In a video posted Saturday, large groups of wild horses can be seen fleeing the fire in the Geiger Grade Area.
Horses flee from blazing Nevada wildfire
Horses are seen fleeing from the Davis Fire burning near Reno, Nevada.
The fire remained at 0% containment as of Tuesday morning.