Smoke from Columbia Park blaze closed part of Highway 240. Fire could smolder for awhile
Firefighters contained a wild fire that forced people out of areas of Columbia Park on Wednesday.
It’s not known what started the blaze next to Highway 240 just after 11 a.m., but the flames spread quickly through the dry grass and moved into the Russian olive trees and other brush near the disc golf course and the former campground, Kennewick Battalion Chief Jake Van Horn said.
Fire crews asked Kennewick police and the Washington State Patrol to help with evacuating the disc golf course area and to divert traffic along Columbia Park Trail.
Drifting smoke closed one lane of westbound Highway 240 traffic near the Edison Street exit.
Kennewick firefighters had help from Benton County fire districts 1, 2 and 4 along with Franklin County Fire District 3.
While the fire is contained, putting out the remaining fire is going to take at least a day. People can expect to see smoke in the area, Van Horn said.
No structures were damaged and no one was hurt. The duck pond was not affected by the fire.
The long days of heat and dry weather helped propel the flames, Van Horn said. The fire got into the dry grasses near the road which burned quickly and sped into the heavier brush.
The Tri-Cities was under a red flag warning, meaning a wild fire could easily get out of control.
The 450-acre park stretches from Kennewick into Richland along the Columbia River. Its western reaches feature the Reach Museum, as well as the disc golf course and an overgrown former campground.
In March, an abandoned park building burned when a homeless man accidentally started a fire in a building when he used a lighter to look inside, said officials at the time.
This is the third fire in a major Tri-Cities park area already this year.
Firefighters battled a dramatic wildland fire, also along Highway 240, in the Yakima River Delta near Richland in late April.
The first fire started at a homeless camp on April 28 and the second, near Columbia Point, started the next day. Together they blackened 230 acres.
This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 11:50 AM.