New Wildfire Shuts Down I-80 Westbound Near Nevada Border

A new wildfire that has burned 640 acres near the California-Nevada border has led to the closing of I-80 westbound out of Nevada.

The Floriston Fire was sparked around 10 am Wednesday, near the Floriston exit off I-80, in mountainous terrain just west of the freeway, and north of the town of Floriston. The fire is reportedly threatening the Truckee River watershed and the freeway area, but it is burning about 13 miles northeast of the town of Truckee.

Cal Fire said the fire was 5% contained as of 3 pm on Wednesday, but it doubled in size to over 600 acres as of Wednesday evening.

"The fire remained within last night’s perimeter, with dozer line along portions of the south side and hand line around portions of the fire," Cal Fire said in a Thursday morning update. "The north side of the fire, toward Reno, remains the priority due to open line and areas where existing line needs improvement. Down-canyon winds are expected through Friday before transitioning to up-canyon winds."

Caltrans closed a portion of westbound I-80 between the state line and the fire area, citing concerns both for the fire spreading and for falling debris on the roadway.

This is the third wildfire in the greater Reno area in a little over a month, with the largest, the Bug Fire, now fully contained after burning nearly 94,000 acres in Lassen and Sierra counties. The Hawk Fire, which burned over 30 homes and prompted evacuation orders for parts of Reno, burned over 15,000 acres before reaching containment two weeks ago.