The Daily Rundown: August 24, 2026
🔥 A wildfire that mushroomed over the weekend in the Sierra Nevada foothills spread perilously close to neighborhoods in Reno, Nevada, forcing authorities to urge more than 90,000 residents to leave their homes.
The out-of-control fire has already burned some homes, but there's concern that shifting winds could push the flames into newly developed and densely packed neighborhoods on the edge of Nevada's second-biggest city. Schools across the county were closed Monday because of the evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews.
Authorities said late Sunday that the Hawk Fire had stayed in its footprint and firefighters were extinguishing hotspots while working to keep the fire from jumping a main highway and reaching areas filled with homes and businesses.
The fire began Saturday and grew to more than 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) on Sunday across foothills ringed by neighborhoods near the California state line. There was zero containment.
At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — were injured. Officials said the fire was “human-caused” but did not say whether it was intentionally set or accidental. Videos posted on social media showed the smoldering ruins of homes and cars, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.
Many residents had little time to evacuate after the fire exploded in size. Some who spotted the smoke on Saturday thought it was from another wildfire that has been burning the past two weeks.
Teresa Lenshyn, who is among the evacuees, said being forced to leave was chaotic and stressful. “You don’t know if the winds are going to shift and it's going to get worse,” she said. The Hawk Fire is the third large wildfire in the rugged terrain north of Reno in the past two weeks — all caused by human activity, according to fire officials.
👮 The city of Henderson has confirmed an active investigation into Police Chief Reggie Rader and Deputy Chief Matt Murnane. Official details regarding the allegations remain undisclosed.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Deputy Chief Murnane is on leave while the ongoing inquiry works toward a conclusion. Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers Executive Director Andrew Regenbaum says he believes the inquiries are two separate matters.
He further says he’s unaware of issues surrounding Chief Rader while highlighting past union complaints regarding Deputy Chief Murnane's involvement in internal affairs. Elected city officials have largely declined to comment or have not responded to inquiries, though Councilmember Jim Seebock expressed full support for Chief Rader.
🎨 Southern Nevada has many places to view art, and some of it just happens to be located in fairly peculiar places.
Nowadays, a drive into the desert — sometimes far into the desert — will take you to art installations that have become world-famous. In particular, local art has found its way beyond the local galleries — in some instances, in high-traffic tourist spots such as the Strip.
And while there’s plenty of local art in the Arts District, one unlikely space is giving several Vegas-based artists a free, high-visibility spot to show their work. Back in March, Isaiah Jerez, attorney and owner of Jerez Law, bought billboard space in the Arts District. For the last six months, he has in turn donated each side to a different local artist to showcase their work to all passersby.
On Aug. 21, the project known as "The Art Billboard" becomes an exhibit called "Art Over Main" at Mad Gallery. The exhibit will feature works displayed on the billboards, as well as related work from the 12 featured artists. Psionic Art Works, owned by Brian "Paco" Alvarez, is curating the entire effort, and what began as a 2026 campaign has been extended through 2027. Hear the full conversation with KNPR's Mike Prevatt here.
💜 The official groundbreaking for the Forever One Memorial is Oct. 2. A ceremony is scheduled for that afternoon at the memorial site. It’s where the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting took place. Fifty-eight people were killed and hundreds more injured.
The memorial honors those affected by the tragedy and the Las Vegas community’s response. The Vegas Strong Fund recently took ownership of the two-acre site. MGM Resorts International donated the land to the organization.
The memorial is expected to open next October, marking 10 years since the tragedy.
🌳 A dozen press freedom organizations are asking for more transparency around deaths and injuries in national parks. They’re urging the U.S. Department of the Interior to reconsider a December 2025 memo, which reportedly restricted National Park Service staff from telling the public about “fatalities, suspected fatalities, serious injuries, or emotionally sensitive incidents,” The Washington Post reported in June.
“Being transparent about deaths and injuries in the parks is not going to lead to more people dying or being injured, but being silent about it might,” said Anne Marie Tamburro, press freedom counsel for the Society of Professional Journalists.
That group was one of the many that signed onto the Aug. 12 letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, urging him to reconsider the policy. They also sent it to senators in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and other states with high national park visitation numbers.
Tamburro said it’s unclear how many deaths and injuries haven’t been reported publicly this year, but she did know of one clear example in Yellowstone National Park. In July, a video went viral of a bison charging a visitor in a campground in the park and throwing him about 8 feet into the air. Read the full story by the Mountain West News Bureau's Hanna Merzbach here.
Part of these stories are taken from KNPR's daily newscast segment. To hear more daily updates like these, tune in to 88.9 KNPR FM.
