Blackened Bateman Island remains closed

Fire-scorched Bateman Island is still off limits to the public.

Richland firefighters remained stationed at Columbia Park Trail on Wednesday and were putting out small flare-ups after a weekend wildfire blackened 70 acres.

“We are trying to reinforce those control lines right now to make sure that the heat that is in there does not sneak out and get into the green area,” fire Capt. Adam Hardgrove said in a video update Wednesday.

“It’s a big mess,” he said. “We just want to make sure that it is out completely.”

Hardgrove’s video shows smoldering areas underneath unburned brush. And he said people are likely to continue seeing smoke above the island.

“There is one way in and one way out off the island and if this happens to catch again and go to the unburned area ... there is potential for injury and loss of life,” he said. Access to the “island” at the north end of Columbia Center Boulevard is limited to a small causeway of land connecting it to Columbia Park Trail.

Richland leases the 160-acre natural area from the Army Corps of Engineers. It is heavily used by walkers, hikers, birdwatchers and others.

Flames were spotted on the island at 6 p.m. Sunday and fire departments and districts from across the region gathered to battle it. By Monday afternoon most of the fire was contained.

The blaze was likely caused by humans but it’s unknown how, say investigators.

While the island appears green from the Columbia Park Trail, Hardgrove said nearly half of the island burned.

Firefighters are working on protecting the culturally sensitive areas, such as tribal burial sites. “We’re going to protect them as we find them,” he said.

A hose line was stretched across the island, allowing firefighters to get water to anywhere on the island without driving trucks across potentially ecologically or culturally sensitive areas.

Workers are continuing to cut down fire-damaged trees.

The land is also home to birds, deer and other animals, but Hardgrove said the fire has not kept wildlife from returning.

“I’ve already seen about six or seven deer down there,” he said.

People can continue to kayak in the area, he said, but he asked visitors not to use the causeway.

A set of similar fires in August 2001 burned 80 percent of the vegetation and about 90 acres. The fires left the island closed to visitors for nearly two years.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Blackened Bateman Island remains closed."