Wildfires continue to burn just northwest of Reno.
Due to the Bug Fire, “Evacuate Now” orders have been issued for the residents of Hungry Valley, situated just north of Reno and Sparks. Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) Reno Gym is currently the evacuation center for Hungry Valley residents. Multiple other areas in the Washoe County area near Stead have also been placed under “Evacuate Now” and “Get Set to Evacuate” notices.
The fire started around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, in Lassen County, California. According to Watch Duty, it has grown to 17,000 acres and is at 4% containment as of Monday afternoon. The initial vegetation fire spread west towards Cold Springs, Nevada and into Washoe County.
According to News 3 Las Vegas, Southern Nevada firefighters, including units from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, North Las Vegas Fire Department and Henderson Fire Department, are heading north to assist with the wildfire. The crews are expected to arrive on Monday afternoon.
Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue (TMFR) posted on Instagram on Sunday evening with information about evacuations for the Bug Fire. TMFR Fire Chief Richards Edwards said if residents are under the red area in the Perimeter Map to leave the area immediately.
“If you’re under a ‘yellow’ or ‘ready’ on the evacuation map, please be prepared,” Edwards said. “Have your go bag ready, have your pets, your medications, clothes, anything you’re going to need to be away from home for a short amount of time ready.”
He said the fire is traveling fast and wind-driven. He advises everyone to follow the evacuation warnings so TMFR can focus their resources on putting out the fire.
On Sunday, the University of Nevada, Reno sent an email sharing the resources available for affected students, faculty and staff. The email writes that the University’s Dean of Students Office is available to provide support, guidance and resources. University employees were also asked to keep out of the Nevada Terawatt Facility due to its proximity to the fire.
Washoe County School District sent out a message cancelling classes for several elementary schools such as Desert Heights, Silver Lake, Lemmon Valley, Alyce Taylor, Jesse Hall and Spanish Springs on Monday morning because of the Bug Fire. The first day of classes was also canceled for Spanish Springs High School and Shaw Middle School.
In the evening when the fire initially began, Level 2 evacuation orders were put in place for north of Cold Springs. Residents were advised to be ready to evacuate the area at a moment’s notice. Nearly an hour later, the order was raised to a Level 3 evacuation zone, urging residents to evacuate immediately. By 8:30 p.m., areas directly north and east of Cold Springs were placed under Level 3 evacuation.
The next day, 20% containment of the fire was reported, and evacuation orders in Cold Springs were lifted. Residents of Cold Springs were able to return home, and exits on the U.S. Highway 395 that were closed due to the fires were reopened.
Since then, the fire has continued to travel eastward, with evacuation zones crossing paths with other zones affected by the Fred Mountain Fire. Updated on Monday morning in Watch Duty, this fire has spread to about 1,400 acres, affecting areas northeast of Cold Springs and Red Rock Road. There remains no estimate of containment.
As the fires continue to spread, the Fred Mountain fire leaves Level 2 evacuations in place less than six miles from Lemmon Valley by Moya Boulevard. NV Energy has continued to take precautions, shutting off the power in Lemmon Valley due to the active wildfires at 12:14 a.m. Monday morning, according to Watch Duty.
Those who evacuated were welcomed at local community centers, such as the Evelyn Mount Community Center, as well as in local Reno casinos. According to News 4 Reno, Grand Sierra Resort and the Peppermill have offered discounted rates for evacuees and fire crews affected by the fires.
For live evacuation updates, check out Perimeter Map.
