Nevada Police Tell People to Avoid Traveling Near California Border

Nevada State Police are telling people to avoid any unnecessary travel on Interstate 80 at the Nevada-California border as a wildfire continues to rage.

The Quilici Fire ignited in Verdi, Nevada, on Sunday after winds caused a car fire on Interstate 80 to spread to nearby brush. The fire has since been renamed the Gold Ranch Fire and has spread to hundreds of acres as 200 personnel from local, state and federal agencies combat the flames.

As of Tuesday morning, the fire was 8 percent contained, although spectators had made firefighting efforts more difficult for the first responders trying to access the flames.

On Monday night, Nevada State Police reminded people to stay clear of the flames unless absolutely necessary.

“Please avoid unnecessary travel in the Gold Ranch I80 area as First Responders continue to work,” Nevada State Police posted on X, formerly Twitter. “If you must travel, please slow down, use caution and stay safe.”

The Nevada State Police also reshared a post from Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue.

“UPDATE on #GoldRanchFire. Incident command is calling 8 percent contained and mapped at 674 acres. Evacuations remain in effect,” the Truckee post said. “We are grateful and appreciate all the fire and law enforcement departments that have supported us on this fire.”

Newsweek reached out to Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue by phone for comment.

The fire closed eastbound Interstate 80 for several hours after it ignited, but the highway has since reopened. In addition to the road closure, many area residents were without power as NV Energy initiated an emergency wildfire de-energization plan. However, power has since been restored to thousands of customers.

“Thanks to our first responder’s hard work at the Gold Ranch fire, NV Energy restored power to 4,500 customers, with only 1,800 still without power,” NV Energy posted on X on Monday night. “We’re monitoring conditions and will restore power when safe. Thank you for your patience. More info on our website.”

The NV Energy website said customers still without power should expect to remain that way until further notice, as there is no restoration time. During times of high fire risk, energy companies can voluntarily shut off power to help prevent wildfires.

Weather conditions made it more difficult to fight the fire on Monday, and the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for much of Nevada, signaling critical fire conditions. As of Tuesday morning, the red flag warning was no longer in place.