Wildfire scorches 100 acres west of Tri-Cities

Firefighters contained a 100-acre blaze west of the Tri-Cities, near Benton City.

A blaze broke out along the rural McBee Road about 2:20 p.m. When firefighting crews arrived, they found a 30-acre fire moving fast through sagebrush and grass.

The wind-driven fire soon grew to 50 acres and McBee Road was closed, according to Benton County Fire District 2.

Reaching the fire was difficult. It was in a remote area only reachable by a couple of roads, Lt. Jack Derderian said.

With the help of a wildland strike team using two helicopters, they were able to get the fire nearly contained by 4:30 p.m.

Some crops were threatened, but there was no damage or injuries.

The fire district received help from Benton County fire districts 4, 5 and 6, West Benton Fire Rescue and Kennewick and Pasco fire departments.

The Tri-Cities region is under a red flag warning for the day, meaning that a combination of wind, low humidity and heat can make fire spread quickly.

This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 4:59 PM.