Man accused of driving car that caused Gold Ranch Fire arrested on DUI charge: What we know

Andrew Bernard Nick, who is accused of driving the car that caught fire and caused the Gold Ranch Fire, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, according to a criminal complaint filed in Reno Justice Court on Monday.

As of Monday evening, he was no longer in the Washoe County Jail. Court records show he was scheduled to be arraigned in Reno Justice Court on Aug. 26. It was not clear if a judge set bail.

Fire officials said his four-door 2020 Alfa Romeo caught fire and then spread to nearby brush about a mile from the Nevada-California state line near Verdi. As of Monday evening, the Gold Ranch Fire had burned 650 acres and threatened hundreds of homes. At least one home was destroyed by the wildfire.

Nick, 40, from Salt Lake City, was arrested at 7:37 p.m. Sunday, according to the criminal complaint and Nevada Highway Patrol Officer report.

He was observed about 30 feet from the burning car when Nevada Highway Patrol first arrived on scene, according to the report, and a Nevada Highway Patrol Officer observed that Nick was unsteady and slurring his speech, according to the report. Nick couldn't sit still, was fidgeting and appeared to have a "white film substance" on his tongue, according to the report.

The Nevada Highway Patrol arrived on scene after calls of a vehicle fire, according to the criminal complaint. When the officer arrived, the car was fully engulfed in flames and so was the south side of the nearby hill.

It was not clear from the arrest report if Nick ever called 911 himself.

The first officer on scene shut down Interstate 80 eastbound upon seeing the fire.

According to the complaint, Nick told the officer he was driving back to Utah after visiting his girlfriend in San Francisco. Nick told the officer he pulled over the car when it filled with smoke, and that he tried to extinguish it but was unsuccessful, according to the report.

Nick failed to touch his nose on every attempt during a field sobriety test, according to the report. A blood draw was taken at 10:50 p.m., according to the report. The results were not listed in the criminal complaint.

The report also said Nick had a previous DUI from 2022 in Utah.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Man accused of driving car that caused Gold Ranch Fire arrested on DUI charge: What we know