U.S. 395 is now open to traffic following a closure due to the Washoe Drive Fire. All residents in evacuation zones have been permitted to return to their neighborhoods. The fire is officially 100% contained. Extra caution should be used when driving in the area as crews continue working to mop up after the flames.
About 2 inches of rain fell in Washoe Valley overnight, helping quench the Washoe Drive Fire and ending the threat of even more fires due to a prolonged dry spell.
The Washoe Drive Fire started almost 2 months to the day following the Caughlin Fire in southwest Reno, which started under similar conditions of a bone dry landscape and high winds pushed by an approaching storm front. According to a Washoe County press release, the Washoe Drive Fire burned across 3,177 acres and destroyed 29 structures, many of which were homes.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that a Washoe resident has come forward and admitted he probably started the fire while attempting to dispose of fireplace ashes. A decision is pending on whether or not charges will be filed. An estimate for the cost of suppression and property damage is around $1 million.
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