Wednesday, December 15, 2021
The Bull Fire burned 2,500 acres north of Verdi in its first day with zero containment, prompting evacuation orders and warnings west of Reno and a smoke advisory for Reno and Sparks.
A wildfire named the Bull Fire broke out just before noon on Friday, October 2, in the hills north of Verdi, Nevada, a few miles west of Reno near the California line. Pushed by wind through dry brush, it grew from about 80 acres to more than 1,100 acres in a few hours. By the 5:30 p.m. update from the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District it had reached roughly 2,500 acres with zero percent containment. Those numbers are as of Friday evening and will change as crews map the perimeter overnight.
On Friday afternoon the Washoe County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders for zones west of Somersett Ridge. Get-set warnings followed for the Verdi area and parts of northwest Reno, with residents told to have a go bag ready. Zone status shifted through the day, so the county perimeter map at perimetermap.com/washoe is the place to check rather than a screenshot from the morning. Verdi Elementary released students early, and bus routes to several Reno schools were rerouted around the fire. More than 200 firefighters worked the fire from several sides with aircraft, engines, and bulldozers. More crews were due overnight. No injuries and no lost homes had been reported as of Friday night. The cause is under investigation.
Northern Nevada Public Health issued an air quality advisory for Reno and Sparks. Smoke is expected to push the air quality index into the unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy range through Saturday morning. Children, older adults, outdoor workers, and anyone with asthma or lung disease were told to limit their time outdoors. This is the sixth fire to start in the Reno hills in two months. Winds were pushing the flames toward the nearby Hawk Fire burn scar, and fire managers expect that scar to slow the spread.
Sheriff Darin Balaam asked people to stay away from the fire area because unnecessary traffic can delay emergency response and interfere with suppression efforts. That request is a good test of your own plan. If a get-set warning reached your phone this afternoon, could your family be in the car in 15 minutes with what matters? A packed bug out bag buys you that quarter hour. A kids bug out bag keeps the little ones from slowing the loadout. Reading the signs of wildfire evacuation matters most in a fast grass and brush fire like this one, where the gap between get set and go can be a matter of minutes.
Fall is peak fire season on the eastern slope of the Sierra, when cured grass meets the first strong winds of the season. The Reno hills have proven it this year. Homes on the edge of the sagebrush can do a lot before the next ignition. Protecting your property against wildfires starts with the first 5 feet around the foundation. Run a fire evacuation challenge with the family this weekend while the smoke is a reminder and not an order. Several Reno hotels are offering discounted rooms to people who left under the orders. The evacuation map will update as containment lines hold, so check it before you drive back in.
