From Bofer Canyon to South McKinley Springs, it was a busy day for Mid-Columbia firefighters

Mid-Columbia firefighters continued Saturday to battle a string of wildfires and home fires across the region.

Firefighters were called to more than 10 fires, ranging from a fire in the Paterson area south of Kennewick to a more than 12,000-acre blaze on the Hanford reservation.

One of the most dramatic fires scorched 500 acres in Bofer Canyon, south of Highway 397.

It’s not clear what started the blaze south of Finley around 9:17 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of Interstate 82 and Highway 397 along Bofer Canyon Road, Benton County Fire District 1 Capt. Ron Fryer said.

It spread through the dry grass and sage. Smoke from the fire cast a haze over the rural community of Finley for much of the morning.

While it did not threaten any homes, the fire did damage some Benton PUD utility poles, including one that hit an employee. The pole collapsed around 12:50 p.m. while the employee was inspecting it, cutting his back and head.

He was treated at a local hospital and released, said Karen Miller, the utility’s manager of communications and governmental relations.

No other injuries were reported.

About 50 firefighters were on the scene, including Benton County fire districts 1, 2 and 4, Franklin County fire districts 1, 3 and 4, and Kennewick, Pasco and Richland firefighters. And a strike team from Walla Walla County was called in.

Smoke from the blaze was visible from downtown Kennewick and south Richland.

It was contained around 3 p.m., with firefighters mopping up the remaining hotspots, Fryer said.

A second fire on Highway 397 and Olympia St, which started around the same time, was under control quickly, Benton County Fire District 1 said.

Along with fighting several fires from Prosser to Paterson that were sparked by a lighting storm that roared through the county, Benton County Fire District 4 firefighters battled a house fire on South Highlands Boulevard early Saturday morning.

The fire started outside of the family’s garage around 1 a.m. and was spotted by a passing driver, who called 911, said Capt. Paul Carlyle. Police officers were able to let the family of three know about the blaze.

While photos of the fire look dramatic, Carlyle said much of the damage was to the outside of the garage and didn’t get inside the house. No one was hurt, and the fire is not regarded as suspicious.

“They were lucky that somebody happened to see it and call it in,” he said.

Firefighters in Kennewick went to what appeared to be an electrical fire on the 2800 block of South Everett Place around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, and crews in southern Benton County were still battling a fire on South McKinley Springs Road late into the afternoon.

This story was originally published September 8, 2018 at 10:21 AM.