Davis Creek Fire at 5,646 acres, now 31% contained
Submitted by paula on Tue, 09/10/2024 - 6:46pm
WASHOE COUNTY, Nev. - Fire managers at the Davis Fire burning south of Reno have reported the fire is now 31 percent contained, burning 5,646 acres. Evacuation zones have been updated, with some areas reduced to evacuation warning zones, with evacuation warning zones growing (see photo above or refer to https://perimetermap.com/).
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno said the Red Flag Warning Wednesday is a "particularly dangerous situation," a warning they haven't issued in five years.
A Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is now in place at the fire, equal to what is known as a Type 1 team. Their fire behavior analyst told the public during a community meeting Tuesday evening that people need to be prepared on Wednesday for "extremely dangerous fire behavior." If the winds hold, the situation can change quickly and the public needs to be prepared, pay attention, and watch the fire news.
"Some of the worst that we've seen this year," said the fire behavior expert. He said to "hope for the best, plan for the worst." He also said the fire has the potential to move seven miles to the north/northeast in one day if the winds are as strong as forecast. Due to that possibility, evacuation warnings have been added to the area north of SR431.
Schools in Washoe County are closed again on Wednesday.
NV Energy said there may be some more power outages on Wednesday due to the wind event. 17,000 customers were without power on Sunday due to emergency de-energization and some burned power lines. This evening, 2,400 are still without power west of Thomas Creek along the Mt. Rose Highway. Many of the burned power lines were along Old 395, as well as in the active fire area.
A forest closure is going into place from Hunter Creek along the forest boundaries, Franktown Road, and to the ski areas. There are small windows to make gains on the fire, and firefighters don't need the public in the forest and on the trails. They'll be closing as needed and will reopen when safe to do so.
The National Guard is now at the fire area to assist and support the sheriff, firefighters, and USFS where needed. They have helicopters making water drops as well.
For information on the fire, visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nvhtf-davis-fire.