This popular Tri-Cities outdoors spot reopens Wednesday

The city of Richland plans to re-open Bateman Island on Wednesday morning nearly a year after a fire burned across 70 percent of it.

The island, reached by walking across a causeway, is popular for hiking, fishing and bird-watching.

The causeway starts at Wye Park off Columbia Park Trail near the north end of Columbia Center Boulevard where the Yakima River flows into the Columbia River.

Richland leases the 160-acre island from the Army Corps of Engineers, with both agreeing that the public can start visiting the island again.

The vegetation destroyed by the fire had grown back by May. But city officials needed more time to make sure the island was safe.

They cut down burned trees that posed a risk of falling on hikers and hauled out some debris from homeless camps that were revealed when fire burned away the vegetation.

The island is maintained as a natural area.

The blaze, which burned in mostly the center of the island, is believed to have been caused by people.

This story was originally published June 12, 2018 at 4:59 PM with the headline "This popular Tri-Cities outdoors spot reopens Wednesday."