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Hawk Fire near Reno reaches 85% containment as claims questions loom
The blaze has burned about 15,000 acres since Aug. 22, with more than 40 homes confirmed destroyed, while 5,000 people remain under evacuate now orders.
The Hawk Fire northwest of Reno was about 85% contained as of Tuesday evening, according to officials, up from 27% a day earlier, after firefighters stopped the blaze's forward progress and shifted to extinguishing hot spots along the perimeter.
Investigators said the fire is human-caused, though it remains unclear whether it was set intentionally. Since it started Aug. 22, it has burned roughly 15,000 acres, and confirmed structure loss has risen to more than 40 homes destroyed, with seven injuries reported and no deaths reported.
About 5,000 residents remained under evacuate now orders as of Tuesday afternoon, down from a peak of roughly 87,000 urged to evacuate over the weekend. Insurance Business notes the fire's timing comes as Nevada's new law, AB 376, allows insurers to carve wildfire coverage out of standard homeowners policies, raising questions about how coverage is handled.
Nevada's Division of Insurance has urged residents to review policies issued or renewed since Jan. 1, which may have had wildfire coverage removed or repriced as a standalone product. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association also urged Hawk Fire survivors to contact their insurer or agent as soon as it is safe and begin the claims process, with APCIA vice president Karen Collins saying the first step is the most important.