Reno residents feared there was a fire there on Monday given that smoke was visible. However, it appears to be from the Elephant Fire nearby, which has burned over 6,442 acres. At the time of writing, there is no confirmation of an active blaze in Reno, Nevada.
The National Weather Service (NWS) noted “Smoke from area wildfires, including the Elephant Fire, may result in areas of degraded air quality tonight as northerly winds transport smoke along the US-395 corridor from Lassen County into the North Valleys, Reno/Sparks, Carson City, Carson Valley, Tahoe Basin, and the W.Nevada Basin and Range.” They shared a video showing the map of the impacted area.
One person remarked “Smoke in Caughlin Ranch…Reno.”
Meanwhile, several people shared photos and videos of the Reno sky as the blaze nearby added a bright tinge to the images.
Elephant Fire: Photos, videos from Reno and nearby areas
One person shared a photo from Loyalton and wrote “What a sunset but it’s a good thing you can’t smell this photo as smoke from the #ElephantFire near Loyalton is drifting in to northern Nevada.”
A picture was also shared by a Reno-based page.
“Additional evacuation warnings have been issued for the Elephant Fire. Residents in these zones should be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen,” they wrote, noting that these were in effect for residents of Plumas and Lassen Counties.
The US Forest Service of Tahoe National Forest shared videos and wrote “The Elephant Fire is now at 6,436 acres and 5% contained. Ridgetop winds, dry fuels and difficult terrain continue to challenge firefighting efforts.”
“An evacuation order is in place for Lassen County in Zone LAS-451-A. Evacuation warnings have been issued for Zone LAS-671-B in Lassen County and Zones PLU-104-A and PLU-114 in Plumas County,” they added.
A taekwondo school in Reno declared that classes were canceled due to the fire.
“Parents/Students due to the fire at our house and our Ranch, classes are canceled tomorrow Monday, July 13. We hope to resume Tuesday, July 14 pending existing fire conditions. Thank you for your understanding!”. They shared multiple photos of the blaze and the firefighting efforts.
Yet another person shared photos of the sky.
“Smoke from the Elephant Fire is making for striking sunsets across Northern Nevada tonight. Many of you have been sharing your photos, here are just a couple. While the skies may look beautiful, it's important to remember the reason behind them. As of 9 p.m., the Elephant Fire has burned 6,436 acres and is just 5% contained," they wrote.