Monday evening Davis Fire update: 5,000 acres, no containment, 14 structures impacted

UPDATE 7PM: The Davis Fire is estimated at 5,000 acres, with no containment. Fourteen structures are currently known to be impacted, and damage assessments will continue in the impacted area of the Davis fire when it is safe to do so, according to a Monday evening briefing. Fire crews continue full suppression efforts, prioritizing the protection of life, property, and critical infrastructure.

Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1, a Complex Incident Management Team, assumed management of the fire at 6 p.m. this evening. Southwest Incident Management Team 1 will be helping increase the management capabilities for this fire while continuing to work with local agencies. A community briefing is being planned for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. at Depoali Middle School, 9300 Wilbur May Parkway, Reno.

Today, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo visited the fire, thanking firefighters and cooperating agencies for all their hard work and support of the incident. Washoe County Commissioner, Alexis Hill toured the fire area and expressed her gratitude for the fire fighters.

Firefighters’ main objective today is working to keep the Davis Fire south and east of the Mt. Rose Highway. On the northern flank of the fire, crews continue to construct hand line and secure the fire perimeter.

On the southern boundary of the fire, crews continue to mop up hotspots and around structures. The west and north flank of the fire remains active, dozers and hand crews are constructing fire line and going direct when possible. Scooper aircraft assisted on the fire today, dropping water in conjunction with hand line and dozer line construction.

A red flag warning for high winds is forecasted for tomorrow, with Wednesday expected to be the strongest prior to passage of a cold front. Smoke will continue to be visible in the Reno area from increased fire activity during high wind events. Check out the Fire and Smoke Map (airnow.gov) for more information on air quality.

In the interest of public and firefighter safety, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Carson Ranger District is asking the public to refrain from recreating in the Mt. Rose corridor from Tahoe Meadows and east towards the fire.
Evacuation areas have not changed and remain in effect.

The evacuations currently are north and south of Nevada State Route 431 (Mt. Rose Highway) to include Arrow Creek, Montreux, St. James Village, West Washoe Valley, Galena Terrace, Sky Tavern, Mt. Rose Ski Resort, and Logan Meadows. For more detail evacuation locations visit: www.perimetermap.com or InciWeb. Evacuations levels are being evaluated to determine when and where it is safe to reduce them.

There is an evacuation center is at the Senior Center located at 1155 E 9th Street in Reno, and Washoe County Regional Animal Services has mobile shelters on site for small animals. Large animals can be taken to the University of Reno Equestrian Center in Reno or Fuji Park and Silver Saddle Ranch in Carson City.

Washoe County Animal Control is available recover pets and large animals in the evacuation area by calling 775-322-3647 #1 (8 a.m.-10 p.m.). Dispatch will need the address, description of animal, where it is located on the property, and number of animals.

NV Energy has restored power to several thousand customers. At the peak there were 17,000 customers without power. Currently, there are 3,116 customers without power, which include those who are closest to the fire and where powerline infrastructure has been damaged and is being repaired. To learn more about outage preparation, go here.

Old U.S. Highway 395 is open from Mt. Rose Highway to East Lake Boulevard but remains closed from East Lake Boulevard to Bowers Mansion Interchange. U.S. Route 431 (Mt Rose Highway is still closed. For updates on road closures, visit: https://www.nvroads.com/.

Please use caution when traveling in the area as emergency vehicles and fire apparatus are entering and exiting roadways and power outages have impacted some traffic signals.

Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest are currently in unified command in management of the fire, with Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 1 assuming management tonight at 6 p.m.

Cooperating agencies assisting in the fire include Reno Fire Department, Sparks Fire Department, Carson City Fire Department, Cal Fire, East Fork Fire Protection District, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Bureau of Land Management, County Sheriff’s Office, NV Energy and Nevada Division of Transportation.

UPDATE 9:58AM: As of 9 a.m., Virginia City Highlands is no longer under potential evacuation status. Storey County Emergency Management and response teams remain active, closely monitoring the fire’s behavior, weather conditions and trends in the region. While the immediate evacuation threat has subsided, residents of the Virginia City Highlands are urged to stay vigilant and be prepared for any sudden changes that may require a renewed evacuation order.
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Truckee Meadows Fire reports Monday morning that updated mapping shows the Davis Fire at 4,703 acres, a downgrade from 6,500 on Sunday evening. There are 600 fire personnel on scene and there have been no change in evacuations. The fire held in most areas overnight, according to a Monday morning briefing.

Wind gusts are expected to continue.

As of Sunday evening, 14 structures are currently known to be impacted, but damage assessment will continue when it is safe to do so, according to incident command.

I580 between Reno and Carson City as well as Old U.S. Highway 395 to Eastlake Boulevard are open. Old U.S. Highway 395 is still closed from East Lake Boulevard to Bowers Mansion Interchange. Mt. Rose Highway remains closed. For updates on road closures, visit: https://www.nvroads.com/.

Officials urge motorists to use caution when traveling in the area as emergency vehicles and fire apparatus are entering and exiting roadways and power outages have impacted some traffic signals. Some roadways along Mt. Rose Highway and the north side of Washoe Valley remain closed. Please avoid the area for the safety of the fire crews.

Power outages in the south Reno area continue to leave some homes, businesses, and traffic signals without electricity. Customers who are currently without power should be prepared for prolonged outages throughout the incident and those customers living near the fire who still have power should be prepared for potential additional de-energizations due to the dynamic nature of the fire.

To learn more about outage preparation go here.

Portions of south Reno remains under evacuation notice, affecting around 12,000 to 14,000 people as of Sunday evening. Carson Now will update today when more information becomes available.

Evacuations are in place for Arrow Creek, Sky Tavern, Mt. Rose Ski Resort, and Logan Meadows. For more details on evacuation locations, visit: www.perimetermap.com.

There is an evacuation center set up at the Senior Center located at 1155 E 9th Street in Reno, and Washoe County Regional Animal Services has mobile shelters on site for small animals. Large animals can be taken to the University of Reno Equestrian Center in Reno or Silver Saddle Ranch in Carson City for those who cannot get to Reno.

Cooperating agencies include Reno Fire Department, Sparks Fire Department, Carson City Fire Department, Cal Fire, East Fork Fire Protection District, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Nevada Division of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada State NV Energy, and Nevada Division of Transportation.

Smoke remains visible in the area. Go here For more information on air quality. Check out https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.