Hawken Fire is 75 percent contained

Multiple agencies mopping up the burned area today.

Reno, Nevada. June 16, 2016. The Hawken Fire ignited just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday near Caughlin Ranch, off Hawken Road and Pronghorn Court within the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) boundary. The fire burned 278 acres, but is 75 percent contained at this time with no property loss, no property damage and no injuries.

TMFPD has maintained Incident Command for the duration of the fire and currently has about three divisions, nine crews and five engines. In addition, the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are mopping up the perimeter of the fire and will continue to do so throughout the day. Air resources are no longer making water drops after making several drops this morning.  An NDF helicopter is on standby if needed.

“The fire came dangerously close to a few homes at Hawken Road and Pronghorn Court, but firefighters were able to hold it,” TMFPD Chief Charles Moore said. “I believe the success of this fire was the call for significant mutual aid resources. I want to thank all the agencies that assisted TMFPD in fighting this fire, and the law enforcement that ensured resident and traffic safety while resources were deployed. I want to say a special thank you to all of these firefighters for their aggressive attack on this fire and for working so hard in successfully keeping our community safe.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation by TMFPD Fire Marshal Amy Ray with assistance of the State Fire Marshal. For additional updates throughout the day, follow @TMFPD on Twitter. The hashtag being used is #HawkenFire.

The Hawken Fire, along with several other fires in our area this week, is a powerful reminder that wildfire season is in full swing here in the Truckee Meadows. Creating defensible and survivable space is the most important thing a resident can do to prepare a home for a wildfire. 

See the Living with Fire website for more information.

Now is also a good time of year to go over an evacuation plan and have an emergency kit prepared. When a disaster or emergency strikes, there is not much time to act. Planning ahead of time will help those within our community take the right steps during an emergency and in some cases, could mean the difference between life and death.

Consider the following when making an emergency plan:

• Involve all members of the household
• Discuss potential emergencies and how to respond to each emergency, such as power outage, earthquake, fire or flood
• Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room. Practice your escape plan every 6 months
• Pick two meeting places
  • A place near your home in case of a small, localized event, such as a fire
  • A place outside of your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster
• Post emergency phone numbers near telephones
• Teach children how to call 911, police, fire and how to make long distance phone calls
• Choose one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated by a disaster
• Learn how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at your home
• Instruct household members to turn on the radio for emergency information
• Remind household members of where the emergency kits are stored
• Make sure to have a supply of medications in your emergency kit
• If you have pets, have leashes, food and any medication with your emergency kit
• Practice loading and unloading with family and pets so that they know the drill
• Consider creating a plan for frequently visited locations – school, work, and practice fields, etc.

For more information about making an emergency plan for your household or workplace, please visit: http://www.readywashoe.com/ .

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