The Davis Fire is burning near the boundaries of Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe and Sky Tavern, two ski areas outside Reno, Nevada, as a rare National Weather Service warning looms.
The fire, reported in the afternoon on Saturday, September 7th, has burned over 5,000 acres. A red flag warning—indicating increased fire risk due to warm temperatures, low humidity, and stronger winds—is in place for the Western Nevada Sierra Front until 8 p.m. Wednesday. “It’s going to be an active day,” Celeste Prescott, the lead public information officer on the Davis Fire, told the Reno Gazette Journal Tuesday morning.
Fire conditions could worsen on Wednesday. A notice published by the National Weather Service noted the development of a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” or PDS, tomorrow, September 11th, at 11 a.m., which includes the Davis Fire. "New and existing fires will grow rapidly out of control, in some cases people may not be able to evacuate safely in time," the notice reads.
This is only the sixth PDS Red Flag Warning issued in National Weather Service Reno history, and the forecasting group called it an “exceptionally rare event” on X. The National Weather Service Reno also advised those at risk to "Prepare now by having an emergency kit prepared and your evacuation route planned."
Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe has enacted several precautionary measures. “Key assets are being repositioned, and sprinklers are in place around the base lodges,” said resort marketing director Mike Pierce, as cited in an article from Ski Area Management published on September 9th. “Special thanks to all agencies working diligently to fight this fire and protect everyone affected.”
Sky Tavern shared a social media post on the morning of September 9th, noting that it remains closed until further notice. “We have no further information at this time but will continue to monitor the situation. Decisions on upcoming events will be made as we learn more,” the post reads.
According to CNN , the Davis Fire has consumed at least 14 structures, and between about 12,000 and 14,000 people are under evacuation notice.
It’s not the first fire to threaten a ski resort this summer. In July, the Vista Fire neared but didn’t burn Mt. Baldy Resort, California.
Three years ago, the Caldor Fire burned Sierra-at-Tahoe, California, a ski resort roughly 60 miles south of Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe by car. Since then, Sierra-at-Tahoe has recovered despite sustaining significant damage.
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