A large wildfire broke out in Reno, Nevada, which had been called the "second Silicon Valley." About 90,000 residents followed authorities' advisories to evacuate immediately or prepare to evacuate.
According to Nevada and local authorities on the 23rd (local time), a wildfire broke out the previous day at the "Hawk Meadow Trail" in northwest Reno.
Reno is an area on the border with California and a city of 280,000 people. Recently, as Silicon Valley tycoons, tech workers, and startups moved in large numbers to avoid California's high taxes and housing costs, it was called the "second Silicon Valley."
The wildfire, now expanded to 13,000 acres (53 sq. km), injured six people, including three residents and three on-scene firefighters, and several dwellings and buildings were completely destroyed. Even major transmission facilities were damaged, leaving up to 60,000 households without power at one point, and gas service was cut off in some areas.
Authorities issued a "Go Now" immediate evacuation order to 42,000 residents. They also advised 45,000 residents to prepare to evacuate.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo also declared a state of emergency across Washoe County, where Reno is located, and urgently deployed two National Guard firefighting helicopters and 60 personnel to handle wildfire suppression and maintain public order.
However, the official containment remains at 0%. The blaze appears difficult to fight as winds keep shifting the flames. According to fire authorities, this wildfire was caused by human activity rather than natural ignition, but details were not disclosed because the investigation is ongoing.