Homes, crops, hatcheries threatened by wildfires burning north of Tri-Cities
State fire resources mobilized Thursday to two large wildfires burning north of the Tri-Cities that threatened homes, crops and Washington Fish and Wildlife hatcheries.
The pair have burned a collective 4,500 acres of grass and brush near the city of Kahlotus and are growing. The causes of both fires are under investigation, and local firefighters from Franklin County Fire Districts 2 and 3 are on scene.
Level 2 evacuations are in effect at this time, meaning residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
A third wildfire also flared up Thursday afternoon west of Juniper Dunes. It was already at 75 acres when firefighters responded around 3:30 p.m. It’s being called the Ruby Ridge Fire. It’s threatening a dairy in the area.
Fire District 3 ordered an evacuation of the Juniper Dunes ORV Park just before 5 p.m., citing the approaching wildfire.
Lyons Ferry Fire
A 3,000-acre fire is burning north of Lyons Ferry State Park, near the confluence of the Snake and Palouse rivers. It started late Wednesday night.
Mobilization specialists from the Fire Protection Bureau have ordered four strike teams, two helicopters, and two scoopers to aid in containment efforts.
Neff Jones Fire
The Neff Jones Fire started early morning Thursday and has grown to an estimated 1,500 acres. It’s located off Neff Jones Road, north of Snake River Road. Two helicopters and two scoopers have been called to help contain it.
The resources are being deployed under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan. State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel are both en route and working remotely to coordinate the dispatch of resources to the fires.
Smoky sky
The fires were partly to blame for a modest layer of smog that rolled into to the Tri-Cities on Thursday afternoon. Air quality maps from the Washington Department of Ecology showed Kennewick had “moderate” air quality that could be irritating to residents with asthma, respiratory infections, diabetes, or lung or heart disease.
South of Milton-Freewater, Ore., the Lower Dry Creek Fire grew in recent days to more than 5,000 acres with Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations ordered for parts of the area. It is 5% contained.
This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 3:58 PM.
