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Floriston Fire north of Lake Tahoe closes I-80 near Reno, prompts evacuation warnings

First responders watch smoke from a fire near the California-Nevada state line.
Nevada County (California) Sheriff's Office
First responders watch smoke from the Floriston Fire near the California-Nevada state line on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.

Note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Officials in California have issued evacuation warnings for the Floriston Fire, which has closed westbound Interstate 80 near the state line. The fire is burning north of Lake Tahoe.

It was first reported around 10 a.m. and mapped at around 297 acres as of 2 p.m.

“Fire personnel are actively working to contain the fire,” the California Highway Patrol wrote on social media. “Motorists should avoid the area, expect significant delays, and allow emergency personnel room to work safely.”

The Truckee Donner Public Utility District said the fire doesn’t currently threaten the town of Truckee. Still, if energy utilities in Nevada shut down power for public safety, Truckee customers will lose power without advance notice.

“We recommend customers take precautions now to charge devices and prepare for the possibility of an outage,” TDPUD wrote.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Floriston is about 20 miles southwest of Reno and 20 miles north of Lake Tahoe.

Austen Erblat is a digital editor for the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional collaboration of public media stations that serve the Rocky Mountain States of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.