Northern California Floriston Fire holds at 622 acres as westbound I-80 partially reopens

By Cecilio Padilla

Westbound Interstate 80 partially reopened near the Nevada state line Friday morning as crews continued battling the 622-acre Floriston Fire.

One westbound lane reopened around 7:25 a.m., according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Drivers should still expect delays and use caution through the area.

The Floriston Fire was 45% contained as of Cal Fire’s latest update Saturday evening. Firefighters held the blaze to 622 acres while working to strengthen containment lines in steep, rugged terrain.

All evacuation orders and warnings for the fire have either been downgraded or lifted as of late Friday afternoon, officials say.

An evacuation order for Nevada County zone NCO-E379-A was reduced to a warning late Friday afternoon, meaning residents in the affected area could return home. Evacuation warnings for zones NCO-E379-B, NCO-E105 and NCO-E106, along with Sierra County zones SIE-E099 and SIE-E100-B, have all been lifted.

The fire started Wednesday near I-80 and Floriston Way, about nine miles northeast of Truckee, and spread rapidly during its first several hours.

Westbound I-80 had been closed at the Nevada state line since Wednesday as crews worked along the fire and officials monitored the risk of debris reaching the freeway.

Exactly what started the Floriston Fire remains under investigation.