Power lines possibly sparked raging wildfire that ripped through Prosser this week
A blaze that tore through Prosser late Monday started near the Old Inland Empire Highway and was scattered for two miles by high winds.
Along the way the fire destroyed a home, damaged two others and collapsed a railroad trestle. Early estimates show the fire wrecked at least a dozen smaller sheds and buildings, as well.
Firefighters don’t know for certain what sparked it, but it may have been connected to sparking power lines in the area, said West Benton Fire Rescue Chief Seth Johnson.
Gusting winds forced embers to jump across the Chandler Canal, the Yakima River and railroad tracks before the fire was finally stopped near Interstate 82.
West Benton Fire Rescue reported 80 firefighters fought the blaze.
In total, Johnson expects about 800 acres were scorched, but the wind-driven nature of the fire makes it hard to tell how big the fire was.
“The fire was contained early Tuesday morning, but the problem was, it was in so many different spots,” Johnson said. “We’ve been chasing little flare ups. There is going to be a lot of smoke in the area.”
It’s unclear how many people were forced to leave their homes that night, he said. There were some evacuations along Hess Road, 119 PR and 134 PR but residents were allowed to return Tuesday morning.
One of the most dramatic images from the raging wildfire was the destruction of the Central Washington Railroad trestle. It’s still not known how that will effect rail traffic in the area.
Downed trees
Problems in Prosser were compounded by the wind coming from the north.
In Prosser, the wind usually blows from the east, but the change knocked over trees, and caused damage throughout the city. Including to the phone lines for West Benton Fire Rescue.
They were still trying Wednesday to get the internet connected in the area.
The damage kept online school classes from starting, and city leaders declared a local emergency to help with the clean up.
The city worked with Basin Disposal to set out Dumpsters in a parking lot on Bennett Avenue and Eighth Street so yard waste could be dropped off.
People can also use the extra pickup days for branches that came down in the storm. Anyone with questions can contact City Hall at 509-786-2332.
“We have a great team,” Public Works Director Marty Groom said in a release.
City crews were able to start the work of clearing the streets with the help of Benton PUD, Benton REA and the Port of Benton. The police department also helped in setting up barricades and detours to help direct traffic away from the clean-up efforts.
In addition, the damage done by the fires could leave fields susceptible to erosion. The Benton County Conservation District is offering to help people with advice on how to prevent erosion.
Contact the district at 509-736-6000 during business hours or email Melissa Pierce at Melissa-pierce@conservewa.net