Tim Walz visits Davis Fire rescue workers during a brief visit to Reno after canceling a rally

RENO, Nevada (News 4 and Fox 11) — Tim Walz, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' running mate, visited first responders at the Davis Fire operations center on Monday during a brief stop in Reno.

The Minnesota governor had originally planned a campaign rally, but instead thanked firefighters for their efforts in extinguishing the raging fire.

Before heading to Galena High School to speak with rescue teams, he stopped by the Washoe Democratic Party headquarters on Terminal Way. Volunteers and staff are collecting donations to be distributed to victims, including diapers, pet food, toys and water.

According to the Harris campaign, Walz himself brought pet food, diapers and wipes. During a stop lasting about five minutes, he acknowledged that it had been a challenging week and said he was grateful for the donors.

Aaron Sims, chairman of the Nevada Rural Democratic Caucus, lost his family home in the flames and was at the Democratic campaign office on Monday to hear Walz's remarks.

“I really appreciate it when, above all, you serve as a role model and make it clear why everyone goes into public service: It's about helping your neighbors when they need help,” Walz said.

When a family loses their home – and it really is a home, not a house – we know it is a huge challenge, so I am grateful to everyone for their donations.

Walz then headed to the dispatch center at Galena High School. He greeted first responders and local fire chiefs and brought pizza to the teams.

The media were too far away to hear his conversations with firefighters, but Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue spokesman Adam Mayberry said he spoke about the importance of federal resources during large fires and the challenges of obtaining property insurance in fire-prone areas.

“It was important to him to tell us to come by and just recognize what we're doing and recognize the first responders and, yes, it was a pleasure to have him here, we appreciate him coming by,” Mayberry said.

The Nevada State Republican Party sharply criticized the visit, claiming that Walz was exploiting the crisis as a “political maneuver.” It also asked whether fire crews had been withdrawn from the construction site for a “photo shoot.”

News 4-Fox 11 attempted to ask Walz about this, but he did not answer questions from the press. We asked Mayberry if officials were concerned that crews would be on scene during the active firefight when Walz stopped by.

“One of the things we talked to the governor about is that this fire has become the priority fire in our region. And that helps us because a lot of resources are being diverted to other fires to fight this fire,” Mayberry said.

Governor Joe Lombardo also visited the Davis Fire command post on Monday and thanked first responders. The press was not invited to cover his visit.

“The state is working around the clock with local and federal partners to eliminate this threat to our communities,” Lombardo posted on X.

Lombardo has declared a state of emergency over the Davis Fire, which burned 2,000 acres and damaged at least 14 buildings by Monday night.

Email reporter Ben Margiott at [email protected]. Follow @BenMargiott to X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.