‘When are we going to wake up from this?’: Davis Fire still displacing thousands

For JoAnna Warthan, the plundering Davis Fire in Northern Nevada has meant the loss of a tight-knit community in which her family has lived for generations.

Since the fire broke out on Saturday, life has been a blur, making sure her uncle and mother who fled their home in a rush have what they need. She’s thankful they are safe, taking refuge in her home northeast of Sparks.

Without a wildfire insurance policy that was too expensive for her uncle’s fixed income, the home and the memories of holiday dinners and neighborhood block parties are reduced to nothing but ash. A GoFundMe to help the family had garnered almost $5,000 as of 5 p.m. Thursday.

“It’s almost surreal,” said Warthan, who works as an advocate for children in the welfare system. “When are we going to wake up from this? Everything happens for a reason, and it’s brought us together.”

Warthan’s home is one of 11 that the fire burned to the ground, but officials said they don’t expect any more damage to buildings. Aggressive firefighting efforts have worked to subdue the fire, with no increase in the perimeter despite dangerous winds grounding all planes on Wednesday.

Containment was at 37 percent as of Thursday at 5 p.m., and the fire was still holding behind firefighting lines at about 5,800 acres or just more than 9 square miles. Officials are expecting low to moderate fire conditions through the end of the week, with firefighters focused on “mop-up activities,” where small fires are put out and flaming debris is removed by hand.

Some evacuation warnings for south Reno were lifted, but evacuation orders remained in place for much of the affected area. Orders mean people must leave their homes, while warnings mean they must be ready to do so.

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said he has been heartened by the support he’s seen for those on the front lines.

“I just want to say what a beautiful community it is that we live in here. … My phone has been blowing up with text messages,” Balaam said at a news briefing on Thursday afternoon. “That really makes this job worth doing.”

Fire situation still fluid, but more stable

The National Weather Service’s unusual “particularly dangerous situation” declaration based on winds with 70 mph gusts was lifted at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and a meteorologist said there were no plans to renew it because winds have subsided.

Bladen Breitreiter, an incident weather service meteorologist based in Reno, said conditions have improved when it comes to fire weather. The station is monitoring a weather system that could affect the area this weekend, but it’s not expected to have as much of an impact, he said.

A swift, clean response from Nevada officials prevented the fire from moving at all, even though the fire had been expected to shift up to 7 miles.

“It was a very extreme event, and yet we had this footprint here that didn’t really move at all,” Breitreiter said Thursday. “The good news is, starting today, we have much quieter weather.”

About half of the more than 2,000 customers without power had it restored as of 2 p.m. Thursday, NV Energy Vice President Jesse Murray said.

The Nevada Division of Insurance is encouraging evacuees to keep all receipts on hand if they plan to file a claim. Almost all major companies will reimburse them for up to two weeks when the use of their home is prohibited by a civil, governmental or military authority.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and police are asking those who were in the Davis Creek area on Saturday to come forward if they saw anything that may be relevant. Balaam said it’s to early to rule out causes, including arson.

Skyrocketing insurance rates

Officials are cautiously optimistic that the main focus can now shift to recovery.

Kacey KC, the Nevada state forester, said for firefighters and residents alike, that process won’t be easy or linear. Once firefighters get a moment to think, it’s normal for the gravity of the situation to set in, she said.

“We’re here to help you,” KC said. “It’s OK to talk about it. We have to talk about it.”

In the Washoe Valley neighborhood that Warthan loves, lives have been forever changed. While her uncle — whom she calls a cowboy — and mother are grateful for the help, moving to a more urban area from rural Nevada is an adjustment they don’t want to make so late in their lives.

She said the community lost its volunteer fire department, where her uncle used to volunteer, which made fire response more personal.

Warthan’s uncle is not alone in not being able to afford wildfire insurance. Nevada’s top insurance official has said a record number of insurers are denying coverage or refusing to renew policies across the state because of fire risk.

“They’re skyrocketing their rates and flat out not insuring people,” Warthan said. “People have been worried sick about situations like this for years.”

The path forward is complex, but she’s committed to finding a solution, whether that’s putting a tiny home on their property or raising enough money to rebuild, she said.

“I want to fix it for them,” Warthan said. “They’ve always fixed everything for me.”

To find the most up-to-date information about the fire and to find resources, navigate to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s website. To donate to Warthan’s family, find the GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/help-family-who-lost-everything-to-the-davis-fire.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.