Firefighters battling a fast-moving wildfire northwest of Reno have stopped its forward advance, a significant milestone in a days-long effort that has forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes and destroyed dozens of structures across the region.
The blaze, which ignited Saturday and has since scorched roughly 15,000 acres, reached 85 percent containment by Tuesday evening. Fire management officials said they expected that figure to continue rising as crews worked the perimeter. The priority now is eliminating hot spots and stabilizing the fire’s edge before evacuees are cleared to return.
Thousands still displaced across Washoe County
As of Tuesday afternoon, approximately 5,000 people remained under an active evacuation order in Washoe County. The exact number of additional residents under a lower-level evacuation warning was not immediately available. Over the weekend, roughly 87,000 people across parts of Reno and the broader county had been urged to leave as high winds drove the fire toward residential neighborhoods.
Officials authorized residents on the east side of US 395 to return to their homes Tuesday afternoon, though they encouraged caution given ongoing conditions in the area. Authorities had also reopened the major highway connecting California and Nevada after keeping it closed throughout Monday…