Another 45,000 people in the state are being advised to prepare for possible evacuations as the fire approaches the city of Reno.
On Sunday afternoon, local time, the fire had spread over an area of about 6,000 hectares. Several houses have been destroyed and six people have been injured.
According to local authorities, the fire did not start naturally, but it is unclear whether it was started intentionally or accidentally.
Corrected: An earlier version of the text contained two incorrect statements. The correct statement is that the fire burned over an area of approximately 6,000 hectares and that the authorities state that the fire did not occur naturally.
