Incident Situation Report
Burning for 19 days at an average daily growth of approximately 793 acres, the human-caused Hawk Fire scorched 15,067 acres of private land and rangeland in Elko County, Nevada. Joint interagency teams from the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Division of Forestry have achieved 100% containment.
Bulldozer strike teams created expansive mineral perimeter buffers across rolling sagebrush flats, protecting remote cattle ranches and electrical transmission lines along Interstate 80. The incident is declared ended, with emergency stabilization teams transitioning to reseeding.
Great Basin Rangeland Fire Behavior
Fueled by dense continuous cheatgrass and sagebrush, the fire exhibited high flame lengths and rapid rates of spread during early September wind events before containment was locked in.
🚨 Evacuation Advisories & Safety Levels
If you are near the Hawk Fire perimeter, stay alert for municipal emergency broadcasts and follow all designated routes. For a complete guide to Ready, Set, Go! levels and vehicle survival tactics, review our guide on evacuation levels explained.
💨 Wildfire Smoke & Atmospheric Plume Dispersion
Heavy convective columns from the Hawk Fire generate significant fine particulate matter ($PM_{2.5}$). Track local air quality indices and wind-driven aerosol drift in real time on our wildfire smoke map.
🛡️ Property Defense & Home Hardening
Ember storms ignite over 90% of residences destroyed in wildland-urban interface fires. Protect your dwelling by implementing proven defensible space tips, clearing roof gutters, and creating a non-combustible Zone 0 perimeter.
Wildlife, Endangered Species & Ecosystem Impact
The Hawk Fire swept through critical Great Basin sagebrush habitat vital for the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and thousands of wintering pronghorn. Post-fire rehabilitation teams are already staging aerial seeding with native perennial bunchgrasses to prevent invasive cheatgrass monocultures from overtaking the burn scar.
Compare this fire's burned footprint against active blazes worldwide in our wildfire statistics 2026 report.
Oregon Wildfire Trends, Seasonality & Risk Metrics
Comprehensive multi-year telemetry, historical burn extent graphs, and environmental fuel analysis.
| Key Parameter | Regional Value / Characteristics | Operational Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Dominant Fuel Complex | Great Basin sagebrush steppe, invasive cheatgrass & pinyon-juniper woodland | Determines crown fire transmission and rate of combustion |
| 10-Yr Mean Burn Area | 340,000 acres (137,600 ha) | Historical baseline for multi-year fire cycle variance |
| Ignition Source Ratio | 70% Human / Infrastructure · 30% Lightning | Drives prevention patrols vs. dry lightning tracking |
| Critical Fire Weather Driver | Thermal low pressure troughs, sub-10% humidity & convective gust fronts (45–65 mph) | Triggers Red Flag Warnings and extreme rate of spread |
| Flame Spread Velocity | Moderate to High: 90–220 chains/hr in dry brush fuels | Dictates initial attack evacuation lead times |
| WUI Exposure Rating | Tier 2 High: Residential communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface | Determines structural defense assets and evacuation tiers |
Fire Ecology & Suppression Dynamics in Oregon
Regional wildfire behavior in Oregon is governed by the interplay between seasonal precipitation deficits, fuel moisture transitions, and characteristic local wind patterns. As summer temperatures climb and relative humidity drops, volatile surface grasses and understory shrubs transition into continuous flammable fuel beds. Under elevated Fire Danger ratings, fire spread can accelerate rapidly across slopes and ravines, producing intense convective columns that transport burning embers into surrounding communities.
Incident commanders and wildland fire management agencies emphasize early satellite detection using NASA FIRMS thermal infrared sensors, automated alert dispatching, and rapid aerial water bombing to anchor fire flanks before large-scale containment challenges arise. Homeowners and local authorities in Oregon must maintain rigorous defensible space zones around residences, clean roofs and rain gutters of combustible organic debris, and install ember-resistant mesh vents to safeguard properties from structural loss during regional wildfire emergencies.