Reno-Stead Airport Closed to General Aviation Due to the Hawk Fire

The wildfire that has forced nearly 90,000 people to evacuate or prepare for displacement in Washoe County, Nevada, is also impacting local air travel.

Reno-Stead Airport (RTS) remains closed to civil and general aviation traffic on Monday morning due to the fast-moving Hawk Fire. The fire so far has burned over 15,000 acres around Peavine Mountain northwest of the city and remains completely uncontained.

While shut down to civilian aircraft, Reno-Stead remains open as an operational base for aerial firefighting tankers and military helicopters, including Nevada National Guard CH-47 Chinooks and UH-60 Black Hawks.

The other airport in the city, which handles the bulk of the area’s travel, Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), remains fully operational and sits well outside the current evacuation zones. However, smoke plumes across the basin could prompt air traffic control spacing adjustments, and airlines are advising passengers flying through RNO to check their flight status directly.

According to officials, the fire was first reported Saturday morning and quickly prompted Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo to declare a state of emergency in Washoe County. Authorities confirmed the fire was human-caused, though the exact ignition source remains under investigation. Aside from the general aviation shutdown at Reno-Stead, ground infrastructure is facing major disruptions.

Portions of U.S. Route 395-a primary north-south artery connecting northern Washoe County to central Reno and the main airport-remain closed. Downtown Reno and the city’s central commercial district remain outside the mandatory evacuation and warning zones.