Latest Updates

5:10 pm - Cause of fire has been ruled as man-made. A person has come forward and admitted to improperly discarding ashes. Criminal investigation is underway.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said he surveyed the fire damage today, and called it horrendous. He said he spoke with some of the firefighters – some who have worked for more than 24 hours.

A woman is believed to have suffocated from the Washoe Drive Fire. The investigation is now a criminal one.

FEMA will assess full damage of fire on Tuesday

Fire is still at 65% Containment

3100 Acres have burned so far

US 395 to reopen tonight at 10PM

Fire crews will be battling the blaze all night. 300 Firefighters are currently battling the fire. 125 Law & military personnel.

100 customers remain without power.

29 Homes have been destroyed along with 7 buildings.

The financial tally of the fire stands at around $690,000 and is believed that it will rise to over a million. FEMA will cover 75% of costs.

1:50 pm - The Washoe Drive Fire is 65 percent contained and 2000 people have yet to return to their homes, according to Reno fire officials.

The evacuation center at Damonte Ranch High School has been closed; the few remaining people who didn't have family or friends to stay with have been put in hotel rooms by the Red Cross.

Washoe Fire residents from two burn areas were allowed back in to survey their property Friday afternoon via emergency personal for evacuees whose homes have been damaged by fire. If and only if you reside on the following streets and your house has been affected by the fire please call 337-5800 for further information:
•Brande
•Canastoga
•Carriage
•Connie
•Hereford
•Highway 395
•Kitts
•Mini
•Old 395
•Old Ophir Road
•Pagni
•Sanctuary
•Surry
•Sunbeam
•US 395
•Washoe Circle
•Washoe Drive

The Builders Association of Western Nevada has offered to assist victims of the Washoe Drive Fire with free advice on how to choose a qualified contractor for the rebuilding process. The non-profit organization will be accepting calls to offer guidance to help safeguard against unlicensed or unscrupulous persons wanting to take advantage of the disaster. Victims may contact BAWN to have a contactors license number verified through the State Contractors Board.

For further information about help with your problem, contact Sheena Shrum at (775) 882-4353 or check out www.bawn.org.

Postal service will not be delivered in the evacuation areas in Pleasant Valley and along US 395 and beginning Saturday residents can pick up their mail at the following locations:
•89704 – Residents in that zip code can pick up mail at the Carson City Post Office located at 1111 S. Roop St.
•89511, 89521 – Residents in that zip code can pick up mail at the Steamboat Post Office located at 75 McCabe Dr. in Reno.

The Washoe County Regional Animal Control Service will be checking on the  animals left behind in the Washoe Drive fire to make sure they're alright. Officers will check on livestock and make sure they have feed and water. People can call animal control dispatch at 322-3647 to have their names put on the list.

9:30 am - The Washoe Fire is 50-percent contained as of 4 a.m. and more than 3,800 acres have burned since the blaze broke out yesterday shortly after noon.

One hundred and fifty firefighters and 150 law enforcement officers spent the evening and early morning hours fighting the fire, they will be joined by more than 400 firefighters today working to contain the blaze.

Officials have confirmed one fatality within the fire area, though it has not been confirmed whether or not the fatality is a direct result of the fire.

Evacuations were lifted in the following areas:

• Callahan Ranch Road
• Fawn Lane
• Galena Country Estates
• Montreux
• Mount Rose area from Killington to Thomas Creek
• St. James Village

Citizens in need of resources or wishing to donate may contact the Red Cross at 775.856.1000. Citizens can call 211 or 775.337.5800 for evacuation information.

5:10 pm - Press conference just ended

Chief Hernandez reports that high wind conditions, caused fire to spread quickly, and is now about 3,000 acres and zero containment. The fire is burning in 2 main sections running parallel to Highway 395.

233 Firefighters on the scene fighting the blaze. Expecting 80 to 100 more firefighters from nearby areas including California.

About 50 law enforcement vehicles are involved, and are continuing the evacuation.

National Guard is present at the emergency operations center. They are ready and able to respond.

FBI and DEA officials that were in town because of Vice President Biden's appearance were able to also lend a hand with the evacuations.

The Reno Police Department is providing emergency services on the fire. They have also called in officers to cover calls for service in Reno.

Rolling Hills subdivision behind Galena High School is now being evacuated. Immediate evacuations continue in Old Washoe Valley, Saint James Place, and Pleasant Valley areas.

About 4,000 people have been evacuated.

1,000 structures impacted and saved. Some were impacted negatively. At least 10 houses have been destroyed but there won't be an exact count until early tomorrow.

There are about 2,000 customers without power, and there are power lines down in the area. Chief Hernandez warned anyone who comes upon a wire should avoid it and assume it’s hot.

4:30 pm - A news conference will be held at the Galena High School Auditorium around 5 p.m. Fire officials are expected to give the latest updates on this fire.

The Callahan Ranch Road area is being evacuated, Washoe County reports.

Montreux and Galena Estates are not under evacuation but are the closest major developments to the area.

The Redfield Campus, a shared campus of the University of Nevada, Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College, has been closed due to the Washoe Drive Fire.

Classes and an event scheduled at the Redfield Campus for this evening, including a community open house hosted by the University’s Extended Studies Division, have been canceled.

RTC INTERCITY service is operating on a detour through Virginia City. From RTC 4th Street Station in downtown Reno, southbound buses will travel to S.R. 341 (Geiger Grade), to U.S. 50 to Carson City. Northbound buses operating between Carson City and Reno will travel in the opposite direction. Bus stops in Carson City at College Parkway and Winnie Lane will not be served. Expect delays of more than two hours.

For official information regarding the fire, citizens are encouraged to visit www.washoecounty.us and follow @washoesheriff and @washoecounty, and @cityofreno on Twitter for the latest official information.

4:00 pm -  Washoe County Manager Katy Simon has declared an official emergency for Washoe County as a wildfire burns in the northern Washoe Valley area. The declaration allows the County to apply for reimbursement for costs related to the fire and request additional resources as appropriate.

300 to 400 acres are currently burning and threatening homes in the Washoe City area, centered at 485 Washoe Drive. Door-to-door evacuations are underway.

Due to the Washoe Valley fire and closure of US 395, RTC INTERCITY service is operating on a detour through Fernley and Silver Springs. From RTC 4th Street Station in downtown Reno, southbound buses will travel to Carson City via I-80 to Fernley, U.S. 95 to Silver Springs, and U.S. 50 through Dayton to Carson City. Northbound buses operating between Carson City and Reno will travel in the opposite direction. Expect delays of one to two hours.

Highway 395 is closed in both directions from Washoe City to the Mount Rose junction. Traffic is currently being diverted at Laramie Drive. Residents are asked to avoid 395 North and Southbound at Laramie Drive.

3:10 pm - The fire has now reached into nearby Pleasant Valley. Law enforcement officials are going door-to-door to make sure homes are evacuated.

Immediate evacuations are also underway in Old Washoe Valley, Saint James Place.

At least three homes have been burned and many more threatened along U.S. 395.

Heavy winds are pushing the flames closer to Reno; voluntary evacuations are in place for neighborhoods closer to the city.

Deputy Armando Avina  said patrol officers, search and rescue members, animal control services and members of other law enforcement are helping residents evacuate. He also encouraged residents to not even think about battling this fire with a garden hose or sprinkler.

NV Energy spokeswoman, Faye Anderson, said that crews have shut down two power lines in the Washoe Valley area. She said this was done so that firefighters attacking the Washoe Drive Fire are not confronted with live electrical wiring. 1,000 customers are now without power.

She said crews are on-scene to either shut down more lines, or to resume power to those without it.

At the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, about six flights  have been diverted, delayed or cancelled, said spokesman Brian Kulpin. “Our issue is not smoke,” he said. “Our issue is wind.” Kulpin said anyone with a flight today should check their airline’s Web site for the status of their flight before they go to the airport. Some flights were diverted to other airports, he said. Several flights were delayed as they departing or arriving, he said. And several were cancelled, he said. But he said he did not have details on specific flights.

U.S. 395 remains closed in both directions at the Mount Rose Highway and in Washoe Valley.

Livestock Event Center is taking horses at this time for evacuees. It can hold up to 400.

The American Red Cross is opening an Evacuation Center at Damonte Ranch High School at 10500 Rio Wrangler Parkway in Reno. Red Cross signage will be available to direct families to the specific location at the High School.

2:30 pm - Fire fighters are still battling The Washoe Valley Fire that started early this afternoon.

Smoke is visible and can be smelled all around the Reno area.

At least 3 structures are burning at the north end of Washoe Valley.

At least 600 Pleasant Valley Elementary School students. Parent can pick them up at They  Damonte Ranch High School, 10500 Rio Wrangler Parkway, Reno.

U.S. 395 remains closed in both directions at the Mount Rose Highway and in Washoe Valley.