Main route into Burning Man festival reopens

RENO — The main road to the Burning Man event in Northern Nevada has reopened after it was closed due to a wildfire that is roaring through the area.

Officials say the fire was 0 percent contained as of Wednesday night and had burned about 47 square miles of land.

Officials say the Burning Man gathering is a major safety concern, as there is potential for the fire to progress toward the event.

The Nevada Department of Transportation shut down traffic on state Route 447 in both directions between Empire and Nixon.

The Nevada Highway Patrol Northern Command tweeted just after 8 a.m. that the road was open in both directions and traffic was moving slowly.

There is an alternate route to Burning Man from Reno, but it’s a six-hour drive up U.S. Highwat 395 to Alturas, California.

The fire started on Tuesday northwest of Pyramid Lake in the mountains west of the highway.

UPDATE: SR447 is NOW OPEN NB from Nixon (SR446). SB open from Empire. #BurningMan2017 traf moving slowly use caution @nevadadot

— NHP Northern Command (@NHPNorthern) August 31, 2017