The Hawk fire has burned more than 15,000 acres since it began on Saturday in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Reno.

Tens of thousands are still under evacuation orders or warnings amid ‘human-caused’, wind-driven blaze

The Hawk fire is about 27% contained, authorities said on Monday afternoon, two days after the fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire sparked near Reno, Nevada.

Authorities added that 23,000 people are under a “go-now” order and 40,000 people are under a “get-set” warning, an improvement from the 90,000 Nevadans under evacuation orders or warnings on Monday morning.

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© Photograph: Trevor Bexon/Getty Images

© Photograph: Trevor Bexon/Getty Images

© Photograph: Trevor Bexon/Getty Images

A fast-moving Nevada wildfire exploded to more than 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) on Sunday, pushing from the Sierra foothills toward the centre of Reno and forced nearly 90,000 residents to evacuate as flames threatened neighbourhoods and reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus

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© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

The unusual weather pattern and dried out peatlands, a kind of wetland, have been behind some of the country’s worst fire seasons. This year could be one.

© Abriansyah Liberto/Reuters