SUV spotted near suspicious I-82 fires south of Kennewick
Firefighters battled a series of suspicious blazes along Interstate 82 south of Kennewick on Tuesday evening.
Witnesses reported seeing someone throw something from a SUV shortly before flames cropped up in sagebrush and grass growing along the highway.
The first fires were spotted along the west side of the southbound lanes of the interstate near the Highway 397 exit.
When Benton County Fire District 1 firefighters arrived they found four separate blazes along a three-mile stretch, said Capt. Ron Fryer. They were able to keep the fire to 10 acres with the help of a fire break that a property owner had created using a bulldozer at the edge of his property.
They were helped by Richland and Kennewick fire departments as well as Benton County Fire District 4.
Firefighters were on the scene for about four hours.
Farther south, firefighters from Benton County Fire District 6 faced similar fires, along with reports of someone throwing something from a SUV before the fires began, Fryer said.
Kennewick firefighters also had battled a brush fire that started along the 1900 block of West Canal Drive about midnight. Before the fire started there were reports of someone walking around with a broom and a lighter.
No one was hurt and no homes or other structures were immediately threatened by the fires.
Heat and fire danger
Fire are popping up just as the region is preparing for record-setting heat and the Fourth of July holiday.
The high temperatures are coming after the region had an exceptionally dry spring, making it primed for wildfires, Fryer said.
A recent Benton County Fire Marshal release said the fire danger is very high.
Public outdoor burning isn’t permitted except for a recreational fire within a metal ring.
This means that wildfires are likely, and with windy conditions they will be hard to control.
When the fire danger is very high, fires will start easily from most causes, and spread rapidly. Small fires can quickly become large fires, according to the USDA Forest Service.
“It is important for everyone to know it is extremely dry outside right now,” he said. “We all need to do our part to modify our outdoor activities in accordance with this high fire danger risk to prevent wildfires!”
The American Red Cross provided some tips for how people can stay safe and prevent wildfires:
- Don’t drive your vehicle onto dry grass or brush. Hot components under your vehicle can spark fires.
- Use equipment responsibly. Lawn mowers, chain saws, tractors and trimmers can all start a wildfire.
- Use caution any time you use fire. Dispose of charcoal briquettes and fireplace ashes properly, never leave any outdoor fire unattended, and make sure that outdoor fires are fully extinguished before leaving an area.
- Store combustible or flammable materials in approved safety containers away from the house.
This story was originally published June 23, 2021 at 12:31 PM.