Fire crews gain ground on destructive blaze raging near Reno, Nevada

The Hawk Fire, which erupted on Saturday near Reno, Nevada, ravaged dozens of homes and displaced tens of thousands of people over the weekend. Fire crews made significant progress on Monday, carving containment lines around 27% of the blaze, which had scorched over 6,070 hectares by then. This was the second major wildfire in Nevada's Truckee River valley area in recent weeks, with no fatalities reported but four civilians and three emergency personnel suffering minor burns.

Around 32 homes were destroyed, with an additional half dozen damaged. Luke Opperman, a civil engineer, was among those whose family home was lost, as were six of his neighbours in his Reno neighbourhood. The fire's threat had eased by Monday afternoon, though 23,000 residents remained displaced and another 40,000 were advised to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice.

Over 900 firefighters, including those from 15 US states and international teams, continued battling the blaze as the cause was determined to be human, though accidental or intentional remains under investigation.