Life Slowly Returns to Normal in Downtown Reno Areas After Hawk Fire

"Today I visited areas of downtown Reno to see what impacts the Hawk Fire was still having," Joseph Keller, our usual Sun Valley correspondent writes with this series of photos.

"With my first stop being Rancho San Rafael Park near the University of Nevada. The park [has been] closed to the public ... but as I arrived there today, I was allowed to actually enter the park.

I came through along the western side of the park. Here there was a small command center. And a couple of smaller fire trucks were staged and ready just in case. Water trucks were also staged along certain areas of the park. One individual I spoke with said he was there primarily to aid in keeping the dust down.

There were a few other people enjoying the park while I was there, though not in the numbers the park usually experiences at that time of day.

There was a family walking through the arboretum. A lone worker was sitting in a cart just observing. In other areas, people were walking their dogs.

From there I headed to the University of Nevada. The Washoe County School District had cancelled all classes for the second day in a row, while UNR students started their Fall semester this week, remaining open.

I then headed towards downtown along the Riverwalk.

Wingfield Park, usually full of people who live and work downtown, was surprisingly almost empty when I arrived, with a few people laying out in the grass, and some individuals taking advantage of the river on this muggy warm day.

My final stop took me to a local high school located near 2nd and Keystone Ave. On a day like this, students would be attending classes, having fun with friends during their lunch period in the halls as they shuffle between classes. But today the building is mostly silent. Some staff members appeared to be there."