The Davis fire continues to spread in northern Nevada, just south of Reno near Mt. Rose Highway.

The fire was first reported on Saturday, September 7th, but its cause is unknown. Authorities have urged residents to report anything they saw that could’ve led to the sparking of the wildfire, and are currently investigating its origin.

The ignition of the Davis wildfire has prompted the first fire weather warning in Reno in five years. It has been only 37% contained as of Wednesday night, a large jump from Tuesday, in which the fire was 0% after nearly three days of burning.

On Wednesday, the Washoe County School District closed all schools in its jurisdiction due to the fire. The district also decided to keep ten schools closed continuing into Thursday, including Galena High School of southern Reno and Incline High School, Middle School, and Elementary school of Incline Village.

Bishop Manogue, another school affected by Wednesday’s initial school closures, invites locals and students to their chapel during the ongoing situation.

“A heartfelt thank you to the firefighters and first responders working tirelessly to contain the Davis Fire,” wrote Bishop Manogue via their instagram page. “Please stay safe- you are in our thoughts and prayers!”

Wednesday not only brought on school closures, but harsh weather that led to a challenging day for firefighters. Dry conditions with low humidity and gusts of wind up to 70 miles per hour were expected to aid in the spread of the fire on Wednesday, sparking a red flag warning. With worrying conditions, officials have been predicting that the fire could spread further north into Reno, and add to the nearly 6,000 acres that have already been scorched.

Although the evacuation orders have passed Washoe City and began to hit homeowners in Galena, a suburb of Reno, evacuation warnings have now officially spread into the biggest little city in the world. Warnings have even been extended as far as just south of McCarran Boulevard and Lakeside Drive, which is less than five miles from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The warning states that people in the area should be prepared to leave if necessary, and are advised to pack three days worth of clothes and hygiene supplies in order to be prepared.

People around Reno, however, not just near the evacuation zones, are on guard. Students at the University of Nevada Reno in the north end of town are beginning to worry. The campus sits just under eight miles away from the nearest evacuation warning zone.

“This fire is many families’ worst nightmares coming true,” says Bella Thibodeau, a former Desert Oasis student and a sophomore at the university. “If the fire reaches new areas, it would only make things worse and could even reach the University.”

As the University of Nevada Reno has had to close multiple campuses affected by the fire, they have been sending alerts of possible evacuations to students of the main campus to keep them informed.

“It’s terribly hard to have to see [families] going through this,” adds Thibodeau. “Most people I know, though, luckily have family that live close like grandparents that they have been able to stay with…I also know that local facilities are offering free shower drop ins for people who’ve had to leave their homes.”

The Washoe County Human Services Agency and the American Red Cross of Northern Nevada Chapter have opened a shelter at a new location in Reno, offering help to those affected by the fire. There is also a center for pets who need to be evacuated, as many people are faced with the sad decision of having to leave their animals behind.

Although many containment efforts from firefighters have been successful, the fight against the blaze is far from over.