← Back

Hawk Fire (Nevada)

Active · 98% contained · 15,085 acres · started 2026-08-22 · updated 2026-08-29

Hawk Fire (Nevada) — Sentinel-2 true color Hawk Fire (Nevada) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego) True color Fire (SWIR)
True color (left): as the eye sees it.
Infrared / SWIR (right): sees through smoke.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 red/brown = burned
🟠 orange = active fire

Imagery: Sentinel-2 (Copernicus). Drag to compare smoke vs. infrared.

Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).

Quick facts

Location
5 Miles N from Reno, NV
Cause
Human
Personnel
85
Complexity
Type 1 Incident
Fuel
Short Grass (1 foot)
Behavior
Minimal, Creeping, Isolated Torching
Jurisdiction
Private land

Burning across 15,085 acres of private land in Washoe County, Nevada, the active Hawk Fire is located five miles north of Reno and is currently 98 percent contained after seven days of burning. The incident, which began on August 22, 2026, due to human activity, has maintained an average daily growth of approximately 2,155 acres per day.

Fire behavior is currently characterized as minimal, creeping, and featuring isolated torching within short grass fuels standing one foot tall. Satellites have detected a single heat signature over the past 48 hours, reflecting the subdued activity as suppression efforts near completion.

Operations are being managed by a Complex Incident Management Team with 249 personnel assigned to the Type 1 Incident, which has accumulated $12,118,392 in costs. This event unfolds within the region's typical fire season running from June to October, amid a broader national context where 3,126,257 hectares have burned so far in 2026, placing the year's total 43 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Nevada for 14 days. So far it has affected roughly 15,085 acres — about 61 km². At 98% containment, the fire is nearly under control.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.

The bigger picture in United States

Across United States, roughly 3,178,795 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 42% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

Follow this fire

We'll email you if it grows, containment advances, or it ends.

Get wildfire alerts near here An email when satellites detect new fire in this area. Free, no account.

Community reports

Reports from people near the fire · unverified

No reports yet. Nearby? Be the first to report.

Be the first to report what is happening →

Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.

More fires in Nevada

See all wildfires in United States →
← Live wildfire map