Lightning fire closes access to Bateman Island in Richland
Signs, caution tape and a closed gate temporarily restrict access to Bateman Island at the causeway to the island at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia Rivers in Richland.
Richland posted to its website that access is closed until further notice because of a 2.5-acre brush fire on Monday night that was caused by a lightning strike when a storm rolled through the area.
It’s not the first time a fire has closed access to the popular hiking and fishing area. A blaze that burned across the island in July 2017 left the park closed for 11 months.