The Hawk Fire northwest of Reno was 85% contained as of Tuesday evening, up sharply from 27% a day earlier, after firefighters stopped the blaze's forward progress and began focusing on extinguishing hot spots along its perimeter.
Officials said containment is expected to keep climbing as crews continue securing the fire's edge, and are working to let evacuated residents return home as soon as possible. The fire has burned roughly 15,000 acres since starting August 22, and the confirmed structure loss has grown to more than 40 homes destroyed, up from the 32 reported a day earlier, with damage assessments still ongoing. Seven people were injured, four civilians and three firefighters with minor burns, and no deaths have been reported.
As of Tuesday afternoon, approximately 5,000 people remained under "evacuate now" orders, down from a peak of roughly 87,000 residents urged to evacuate over the weekend. Investigators have determined the fire was human-caused, though it remains unclear whether it was set intentionally.
Insurance Business has covered this fire's significance since it broke, given its timing against Nevada's new law permitting insurers to carve wildfire coverage out of standard homeowners policies. With 32 total losses now confirmed, the question for affected households moves from what their policy theoretically allows to what an adjuster will determine once a claim is filed.
Nevada's Division of Insurance has urged residents to review their coverage, since any policy issued or renewed since AB 376 took effect on January 1 may have had wildfire coverage removed or repriced as a standalone product.
The human-cause determination is unlikely to change coverage outcomes for the homeowners themselves; standard policies respond to fire loss regardless of who ignited it, unless the policyholder set it themselves.
Where it becomes relevant is on the subrogation side: if the fire is ultimately traced to negligence, insurers that pay claims would have grounds to pursue recovery from whoever caused it.
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association has issued guidance specifically for Hawk Fire survivors, urging anyone who lost a home to contact their insurer or agent as soon as it's safe and begin the claims process. Karen Collins, APCIA's vice president for property and environmental, called that first step the most important one.
"Families who have lost homes are facing an incredibly difficult and emotional recovery. Insurers are ready to help policyholders navigate the claims process, access available coverages, and begin rebuilding. The most important first step is to contact your insurer or agent immediately and stay in regular communication throughout the recovery process," Collins said.
APCIA recommended reporting a claim early, keeping every receipt tied to temporary housing and emergency purchases, compiling a list of damaged belongings for destroyed homes, and maintaining regular contact with the assigned adjuster.
Many homeowners and renters policies include Additional Living Expenses coverage, which helps pay for temporary housing while a home is uninhabitable, a benefit APCIA noted becomes relevant immediately rather than only once rebuilding begins.
APCIA also used the fire to push preparedness guidance toward Nevada homeowners generally.
"The unfortunate reality is that wildfires can move rapidly and strike with little notice. The Hawk Fire is a reminder that homeowners should review their insurance coverage, document their belongings, and prepare their property before disaster strikes," Collins said.
The association's recommendations include an annual policy review to confirm dwelling coverage reflects today's rebuilding costs, maintaining a home inventory with photos and receipts, storing insurance documents securely, and understanding deductibles and limits before an emergency occurs. That guidance carries particular weight given AB 376: a homeowner who hasn't reviewed their policy recently may not know whether wildfire coverage was carved out at their last renewal.
For adjusters, confirming which of the 32 destroyed properties fall under pre- or post-AB 376 policies is likely the first and most consequential step in each file, shaping everything from coverage confirmation to how additional living expenses get authorized.
APCIA's guidance gives brokers a ready-made checklist for client conversations: confirm the claim has been reported, remind clients to preserve receipts, and flag ALE coverage explicitly, since displaced homeowners under acute stress often don't think to ask about it.
For brokers with unaffected Reno-area clients, APCIA's preparedness push is a natural opening to revisit coverage in light of AB 376, particularly for anyone who renewed after January 1 without a clear conversation about whether wildfire coverage remained standard.
