RENO, Nevada — Hundreds of people were allowed to return home Tuesday after fleeing a wildfire west of Reno that also closed Interstate 80 on the California-Nevada border.
About 170 firefighters continued to work to secure the perimeter and extinguish hot spots near Verdi, a town 11 miles (17 kilometers) from downtown Reno. One home was destroyed in the blaze that broke out Sunday night and consumed about a square mile (2.5 square kilometers) of brush and timber.
No one was seriously injured. The Nevada state fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire, which started near the Gold Ranch exit of I-80 along the Truckee River, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the California border and 13 miles (21 km) west of Reno.
Evacuation orders or warnings were issued for about 400 homes threatened by the flames Sunday night and Monday.
About 27,000 Nevada Energy customers were without power at one point Sunday night after the utility shut off electricity as a precaution. But power was restored to all but about a dozen by Tuesday.
The fire was 8% contained as of Tuesday, according to the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. But aerial photos showed no active flames or significant smoke.
More than 300 firefighters who worked Monday through Tuesday were able to secure firebreaks and will continue to conduct cleanup efforts, the federal interdepartmental firefighting team led by Chief Brad Milam said in a statement Tuesday.