‘Community hug.’ Benton City rallies after 5 homes destroyed in devastating wildfire

Shara Morgan knows firsthand how Benton City neighbors show up to support people dealing with tragedy.

They did it after she watched her home burn down two years ago. They offered cash, food and other help in what she described as being “hugged” by her community.

And now the Benton City Chamber of Commerce president is part of the group responding after last weekend’s devastating wildfire.

“We wanted to give a community hug to everyone who lost their home,” she told the Tri-City Herald.

In all, the raging wildfire destroyed five homes and 17 other buildings, along with some crops and vineyards. Several vehicles also burned, said Benton County Fire District 2 officials.

Officials have not said if the homes were in the same area.

People have brought clothes, food and toiletries to help the families whose homes were destroyed when 820 acres burned Sunday. The chamber’s conference room has been taken over by donations.

“We’ve had people come by with blankets, jackets and so many shoes,” she told the Herald. They’ve also brought boxes of mac and cheese, canned good and shampoo.

The fire started about 12:30 p.m. near the 40000 block of West Old Inland Empire Highway, then it spread quickly from there, said Lt. Justin Gerry with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The cause is still under investigation.

The homes that burned were along private roads off the Old Inland Empire Highway, north of the Yakima River, and District Line Road.

As news spread about the destruction, Morgan decided to help. She’s officered the office space as a collection place for donations.

The chamber office, 513 Ninth St., is normally open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but Morgan said she has come in as early as 7:30 a.m. to accept a load of blankets.

“If they call after hours, I live a block away,” she said. “I just want to help.” She can be reached at 509-588-4984 or by cell at 509-554-4473.

Immediate needs include toiletries, such as deodorant, shampoo and feminine hygiene products, she said.

She credits Benton City’s small town spirit for inspiring folks to pull together to help the fire victims.

So far, two of the families who lost their homes have reached out to the chamber, Morgan said. While the Red Cross was able to provide some assistance, at least one family learned that the insurance payout will only cover their mortgage and hasn’t been able to get stable housing yet.

They were on their way home from church when they discovered their home was burning, she said. “They said it took them seven years to get their home, and now they’re starting over again,” she said.

Benton City firefighting efforts

Sunday’s fire struck the community with surprising speed, Benton County Fire District 2 Chief Dennis Bates told the Herald.

He said a wet winter combined with a dry spring and hot stretch to create conditions firefighters normally see in August.

Also, they aren’t seeing the usual trend of more moisture at night, he said.

Along with the homes, it burned an outbuilding at the Chandler Power Plant, and the Benton PUD and Benton REA lost power poles, initially knocking out electricity to 6,000 Prosser customers.

“It burned through a lot of people’s property,” Bates said Thursday.

More than 160 people fought the blaze, using a bulldozer and nearly 40 fire engines. They also had help from two air tankers, dumping water and retardant.

Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries.

Bates said the high winds after the initial fire were a big concern, but they were able to extinguish flare-ups before they spread.

“Things were doing very good last night,” he said. “(Smoke from the fire) should be decreasing over the next couple of days.”

Bates said they still are encouraging people to call if you suspect there may be a rekindling. Some fire crews remain stationed around the valley to respond quickly if that happens.

- Reporting intern Ellie Conover contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 5:36 PM.