Hawk Fire forces tens of thousands to evacuate in Reno

Fire crews in Nevada are racing to contain a massive wildfire that exploded in size over the weekend, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.

(CNN) – Fire crews in Nevada are racing to contain a massive wildfire that exploded in size over the weekend, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.

The Hawk Fire began Saturday in northwest Reno and had grown to roughly 15,000 acres by Sunday evening, according to officials.

Authorities said the fire was human-caused, but there is no indication so far that it was intentionally set.

Officials said the blaze is particularly concerning because it is approaching densely populated areas within Reno city limits.

“As always, life safety and firefighter safety is gonna be our number one priority,” Reno Fire Chief David Cochran said.

As of Sunday night, about 90,000 residents had been urged to evacuate. Officials said 42,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders by Sunday afternoon.

Hundreds of evacuees spent the night at a shelter at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, where the Red Cross was providing assistance.

Meanwhile, Hawaii is facing another round of potentially dangerous weather as Tropical Storm Moke weakened to a tropical depression after making its closest approach to the islands Sunday.

Heavy rainfall remains the biggest concern, particularly in areas that flooded last weekend when Hurricane Lala caused deadly destruction across parts of the islands.

A flood watch remains in effect for the Big Island through Monday afternoon.