Nevada State Police advise citizens to avoid unnecessary travel on Interstate 80 at the Nevada-California border as a wildfire continues to rage there.
The Quilici Fire broke out 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 of land as 200 personnel from local, state and federal agencies battle the flames.
Since Tuesday morning The fire was 8 percent contained, although spectators made it difficult for first responders to extinguish the flames as they attempted to reach them.
On Monday evening, Nevada State Police urged the public to stay away from the flames unless absolutely necessary.
“Please avoid unnecessary travel in the Gold Ranch I80 area as first responders continue to work,” Nevada State Police said. published on X, formerly Twitter. “If you must travel, please drive slowly, be careful and stay safe.”
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The Nevada State Police also re-shared a post from Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue.
“UPDATE on #GoldRanchFire. Fire officials say 8 percent of the fire at 674 acres is contained and mapped. Evacuations remain in effect,” the Truckee post said. “We are grateful to all the fire and law enforcement agencies that assisted us with this fire.”
Newsweek Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue called for comment.
Eastbound Interstate 80 was closed for several hours after the fire broke out, but it has since reopened. In addition to the road closure, many residents were without power as NV Energy initiated an emergency power shutoff plan due to the wildfire. However, power has now been restored to thousands of customers.
“Thanks to the hard work of our first responders at the Gold Ranch fire, NV Energy was able to restore power to 4,500 customers, leaving only 1,800 without power,” NV Energy posted on X on Monday evening. “We are monitoring the situation and will restore power as soon as it is safe to do so. Thank you for your patience. Check our website for more information.”
Please avoid unnecessary travel in the Gold Ranch I80 area as first responders continue to work. If you must drive, please slow down, use caution and stay safe. https://t.co/nhMWIm7DPu
— Nevada State Police (@NVStatePolice) 13 August 2024
NV Energy’s website states that customers who still do not have power should expect to remain that way until further notice, as there is no restoration time. During times of high fire risk, energy companies may voluntarily shut off power to prevent wildfires.
Weather conditions made firefighting difficult on Monday, and the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning for much of Nevada, indicating critical fire conditions. As of Tuesday morning, the Red Flag warning was no longer in effect.
