Fire near Benton City caused by human activity

An early season fire that scorched 504 acres in Webber Canyon south of Benton City was caused by human activity.

The May 11 fire apparently was caused by a work crew using fire to clean ditches, according to the Bureau of Land Management, which teamed with local firefighters and the Department of Natural Resources to fight the fire.

The fire broke out at about 8:30 a.m. and took most of the day to get under control. The effort included a bulldozer and air support.

A BLM spokeswoman said a final report won’t be available until next week.

BLM said the fire serves as a handy reminder that wildland fire season has arrived. It urges residents to learn how to protect their homes and communities and to assist fire fighters to reduce the number of human-caused fires.

Visit fireadapted.org for information.

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Fire near Benton City caused by human activity."