Davis Fire in Reno, Nevada, Sept. 8, 2024.

Wednesday may be catastrophic for the Davis Fire in Reno, fire officials warned. Wind gusts up to 70 mph on ridges could ground firefighting efforts while the fast-moving fire races across hillsides and canyons above some of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods, threatening hundreds of residences.

A red flag warning is still in effect for Reno, but in light of the fire’s proximity to residential neighborhoods, extremely dry fuels and exceptional winds, the National Weather Service in Reno elevated the warning to a “potentially dangerous situation,” or PDS, a rare declaration that has only been used a few times in recent years.

The PDS warning is reserved for “extremely dangerous situations” and signals just how urgent and serious conditions are Wednesday, said Matthew Chyba, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.

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“With the Davis Fire being where it is, and with these high winds, it can cause a potentially dangerous situation very, very quickly,” Chyba said.

Models show the Davis Fire could move between 3 and 7 miles on Wednesday. “It’s going to be in terrain that’s difficult for us to access,” said fire Chief Charles Moore, from Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, at a community meeting Tuesday night.

Wednesday is “going to be very serious in terms of fire weather, and I can’t emphasize that enough,” Chief Moore said.

The Davis Fire has grown to 5,646 acres and is 31% contained, with containment lines in the southeast corner near Washoe Lake. However, the active fronts of the fire are........

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