UPDATE: Wildfire south of Finley nearly contained

An 875-acre fire along the bluffs near the Columbia River is nearly under control.

Firefighters from Yakima and Kittitas counties and the Spokane area joined the effort to contain the Les Blair Fire Tuesday after state-wide mobilization was authorized Monday night.

Fire Chief Lonnie Click with Benton County Fire District 1 said three planes and a Walla Walla strike team also helped on Monday.

Sparks from a passing train likely caused the fire that started around noon Monday and quickly spread to about 500 acres by 6 p.m.

During the night, the fire moved upriver toward Finley and burned another 200 to 300 acres.

It was about 85 percent contained Tuesday afternoon, said Tracy Baker, the fire district's public information officer. No private property has been threatened.

"The biggest exposure right now is the railroad, but the trains are still running," she said.

The extra firefighting crews and resources were needed because of the size of the blaze.

Crews used bulldozers to make fire breaks last night. They spent Tuesday morning burning grass along a 4-mile line on northern edge to keep it from advancing on the Finley community east of Kennewick.

The move was successful in stopping the fire taking the fire from 50 percent to 85 percent contained by 1 p.m., Benton County Fire District 1 said.

Firefighters are controlling the southern side of the fire with water dropped from planes.

The wildfire season is just beginning, and the Columbia Basin is continuing to see an increase in the number of wildfires each year, Click said.

This story was originally published June 5, 2018 at 11:16 AM with the headline "UPDATE: Wildfire south of Finley nearly contained."