Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini said he was contacting the governor's office to ask for authority for mandatory evacuation.
"We're going door-to-door and getting people out of here. It is moving and burning really fast. Everybody is being really cooperative," Pierini said from the scene.
He said evacuees would be taken to Smith Valley High School rather than Douglas High to avoid the traffic through Minden.
All roads into Topaz Ranch Estates were closed to everyone except emergency personnel.
He said the fire was burning next to the Topaz Ranch Estates Volunteer Fire Department station and the sheriff's substation.
A call also went out for volunteers to take animals from the burning area.
