Emergency responders started Friday in a much better position as favorable weather conditions the previous day allowed firefighters to gain traction against the Davis Fire.
Officials even expressed cautious optimism moving forward, while adding that the wildfire has yet to be fully contained. The Davis Fire had burned nearly 6,000 acres as of Friday afternoon and was at 56% containment.
The Nevada Division of Forestry was also starting to look into demobilizations for firefighters and other crews who have been battling the fire.
Here are the latest updates on the Davis Fire.
NV Energy restores power to all lifted evacuation areas
NV Energy says electric power has been restored to all customers where evacuation orders have been lifted.
"Our outage is down to just over 800 customers," NV Energy spokesperson Meghin Delaney said in an email. "Our teams are ready to re-energize more electric customers as evacuation orders are lifted."
The gas power outage is down to about 139 customers who will also need a re-light for their power. NV Energy says they will re-light customers where the evacuation orders have been lifted.
Currently, NV Energy crews are working to replace damaged poles and they are expected to be done tomorrow. If the community has questions, they encourage attendance at the 7 p.m. community meeting at Depaoli Middle School.
Survey to gather data on damages from Davis Fire or firefighting efforts
The Washoe County Emergency Management and the Nevada Division of Emergency Management sent out a survey on Friday to ask residents affected by the Davis Fire to provide information on what damage may have occurred to their property.
"This will help local and state authorities calculate the overall impact of the fire to the community," the release said.
Residents can click the survey and fill out their information to self-report any damage to their home, business or property. The damage could be directly from the fire or from the firefighting efforts.
The survey requires at least one photo or up to four, and does not guarantee repairs. The last date to respond is Oct. 15.
Community meeting on Davis Fire at 7 p.m.
Gov. Joe Lombardo was set to attend a community meeting to talk about the Davis Fire at 7 p.m. at Depoali Middle School at 9300 Wilbur May Parkway.
It is the second community meeting held in south Reno since the fire began. The fire was 56% contained and had burned nearly 6,000 acres as of Friday afternoon.
Lombardo spent part of Friday morning touring fire damage along Mount Rose Highway with firefighters and incident command leaders.
Lombardo said the response and skill of firefighters tackling this blaze couldn't have gone any better.
"I would equate this to best practice," he said of firefighters from multiple agencies working together to stop progression of the fire amid windy conditions.
The fire never crossed the boundary of the ski resort, according to Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe officials.
Evacuations lifted in Montreux, up to 56% containment
Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue reported that evacuations in Montreux area were lifted as of 10 a.m. Friday morning.
Authorities warn that the community should still use caution as crews are working in the area.
The Davis fire remains at 5,824 acres with 56% containment. Fire crews are continuing to reinforce existing fire lines and mop-up in areas where heat is detected, including near Davis Creek Road, northwest past Hidden Lake and up to Mt. Rose Highway.
Davis Fire evacuation update, Thursday evening
Evacuation warnings have been lifted for almost all communities in the vicinity of the Davis Fire on Thursday.
Only Montreaux, Galena Forest Estates, Joy Lake Road and St. James's Village, all in wooded areas up Mount Rose Highway, remain under evacuation orders.
Truckee Meadows Fire Chief Charles Moore said he is working hard to get more people home .
“I’ve been on trips before and I’ve said to myself, ‘I just want to go home,’” Moore said at a news conference Thursday at the South Valleys Library. “I so understand what our community is going through. ... We are working hard on that.”
Latest wind conditions
Weather is expected to remain favorable for Friday with the same calm winds seen the previous day.
The National Weather Service is forecasting calmer winds of 5 mph in the Sierra Front area through Saturday afternoon before seeing wind gusts once more. Sunday and Monday also bring some chance for rain, the NWS added.
While the additional moisture is welcome, however, it also brings risks from flooding, KC said.
“Unfortunately, in Nevada, when you get a little bit of rain following a fire where you've taken out most of the timber and vegetation on the ground, stuff starts to move,” KC said.
“So we will be focusing most immediately on what can we do to try to stop further damage from a potential flood situation.”
