Latest update: September 18, morning: The Floriston Fire has held near 640 acres with containment now up to 8%, according to CAL FIRE. Crews spent the night reinforcing dozer and hand lines, and the fire's spread has slowed considerably on its north and east sides. Floriston itself is no longer directly threatened — the fire has pushed further north, away from the community, toward the Reno side of the state line. Westbound Interstate 80 remains closed, this time mainly because boulders and debris have fallen onto the roadway from the steep terrain above; Caltrans is working to open at least one lane but has given no timeline. Some evacuation warnings in western Washoe County have been lifted, while orders and warnings elsewhere in Nevada and Sierra Counties remain active. NV Energy still has about 131 customers without power, and overnight valley winds trapped wildfire smoke in the Truckee Meadows, keeping the Reno-Sparks air quality advisory in effect. CAL FIRE continues to report no injuries and no structures lost.
The Floriston Fire was first reported around 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 16, near Interstate 80 and Floriston Way — a small community about nine miles northeast of Truckee, California, sitting almost exactly on the California-Nevada border along the Truckee River canyon. CAL FIRE initially reported a dangerous rate of spread. The fire grew from an estimated 20 acres at 11 a.m. to 295 acres by early afternoon and roughly 613 acres by Wednesday evening, driven by gusty winds pushing flames eastward on dry fuels with long-range spotting reported ahead of the main fire front. Growth has since slowed sharply, with the fire holding around 640 acres through Thursday and into Friday.
In this article:
How Fast the Fire Grew
| Time (Wed–Fri) | Size | Containment |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 a.m. Wed | 20 acres | 0% |
| 12:13 p.m. Wed | 295 acres | 0% |
| 3:04 p.m. Wed | 300 acres | 5% |
| 6:30 p.m. Wed | 613 acres | 4–6% |
| 8:00 a.m. Thu | ~640 acres | 5% |
| Evening Thu / Fri a.m. | ~640 acres | 8% |
Overnight growth has stayed minimal since Wednesday's rapid spread — CAL FIRE reports the fire remains largely within its established footprint, with crews building and reinforcing dozer line along the south side and hand line around other portions of the fire. Two spot fires caught north of the main perimeter earlier this week have been held. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Evacuation Orders and Warnings
Evacuation status shifted several times through Wednesday as the fire grew. A mandatory evacuation order was issued around 12:54 p.m. for areas west of I-80 to Boca Road, then downgraded to a warning by 1:34 p.m. as the immediate threat eased. As the fire continued to spread through the afternoon and evening, additional warnings were issued for western Washoe County, Nevada — from Riverdale to Snowflower Mountain — and for areas on the California side north and west of Boca Reservoir. By 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Washoe County warnings had been downgraded from "get set" (yellow) to "get ready" (green), and by Thursday, notices for some parts of western Washoe County had been lifted entirely as the fire's growth slowed. As of Friday morning, the active zone status is:
- ✓Evacuation Order (immediate): Nevada County zone NCO-E379-A.
- ✓Evacuation Warnings: Nevada County zones NCO-E379-B, NCO-E105, NCO-E106; Sierra County zones SIE-E099 and SIE-E100-B; remaining warning areas in western Washoe County, Nevada, south of Mogul.
- ✓Lifted: Evacuation warnings have been lifted for some areas of western Washoe County as the fire's growth on that side has slowed; residents should confirm their specific address status before returning, as zones can still change quickly.
- ✓Live zone maps: Genasys Protect (protect.genasys.com) and PerimeterMap.com both show real-time, address-level evacuation status.
- ✓Evacuee lodging: J Resort in Reno has offered a discounted $49/night rate with no resort fees for those displaced by the fire.
I-80 Closure and Travel Impact
Westbound Interstate 80 closed at the Nevada state line within roughly an hour of the fire's start and remains closed, with the closed section running from around Exit 4 near Gold Ranch/Boomtown on the Nevada side, through the fire zone toward Truckee. Only eastbound I-80 traffic is currently allowed through the fire area. The closure is no longer only about active flames near the roadway: Caltrans has released photos showing boulders and debris that fell from the steep terrain above onto the highway near the state line, and crews are assessing the slope before reopening. Caltrans says it is attempting to open at least one lane but has not been able to do so yet, and there is still no estimated reopening time. Truckers and other westbound travelers are being stopped at Boomtown, with many parked along the highway or at nearby truck stops; suggested alternates to reach Truckee or Sacramento include the Mount Rose Highway or Highway 70 off US 395 north of the Nevada border. Union Pacific Railroad has also brought in a fire train, using its rail access near the fire to help resupply water for suppression efforts.
Power Outages and Air Quality
NV Energy still reports about 131 customers without power due to the fire, with no estimated restoration time yet. Local power lines in the Floriston area have also been de-energized as a safety precaution for firefighters. Tahoe Donner Public Utility District, which serves the Truckee area, continues to monitor the fire because it could threaten NV Energy transmission lines that carry power in from Verdi; if NV Energy opts for an emergency shutoff of that line, TDPUD customers could lose power without advance notice, and the utility has asked customers to prepare for a possible outage.
Northern Nevada Public Health's air quality advisory for the Reno-Sparks area remains in effect due to smoke from regional wildfires, including the Floriston Fire and the separate Dome Fire. Overnight valley winds trapped smoke close to the ground across the Truckee Meadows, keeping conditions elevated into Friday morning. The AQI is expected to reach Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy levels for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Verdi and North Valleys areas, with Eastern Sparks and Spanish Springs seeing more moderate impact. Anyone with respiratory conditions, older adults, and children in the affected areas should limit prolonged outdoor exertion until the advisory lifts.
Video: I-80 Closure and Resident Reaction
KOLO 8 News Now in Reno has field coverage of the ongoing westbound I-80 closure, including Caltrans images of the rockfall on the highway and an interview with a Floriston resident who was told to prepare to evacuate as the fire approached. Watch the full report on KOLO's site:
What Happens Next
The Sacramento Regional Incident Management Team, which took over command from the initial local unified command on Thursday, continues to oversee operations. CAL FIRE hosted a virtual community meeting on its Nevada-Yuba-Placer Facebook page Thursday evening to update residents on containment and evacuation status. With the fire's growth slowed and Floriston no longer under direct threat, crews are now split between mopping up and improving line on the fire's south and east sides and continuing to hold and strengthen the north side toward Reno. Caltrans and CAL FIRE personnel are jointly assessing the rockfall-affected stretch of I-80 to determine when a lane, and eventually the full roadway, can reopen.
Where to Get Live Updates
- CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit (fire.ca.gov/incidents) — the official incident page for size, containment, and resource updates.
- Genasys Protect / PerimeterMap.com — for address-level evacuation zone status.
- Caltrans QuickMap and NV Roads — for current I-80 closure and reopening status.
- Watch Duty — for live, human-verified alerts if you're in the area. See our full breakdown of how Watch Duty works.
- Northern Nevada Public Health / AirNow.gov — for current air quality readings in the Reno-Sparks area.
This is a developing story. We'll update this article as CAL FIRE, Nevada County, Sierra County, and Washoe County officials release further information on containment, evacuations, and the I-80 closure.
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