Take pride in yourselves, Tri-Cities. You stepped up when the wildfire hit

We’ve always thought Tri-Citians were a resilient and charitable bunch.

Now we have additional proof.

In the midst of last Saturday’s devastating brush fire in south Kennewick, residents responded quickly with composure, compassion and fortitude.

The flames that started in the dry grass near Bofer Canyon Road and Interstate 82 went from rural to residential in what seemed like a matter of minutes.

People living in and around the Canyon Lakes and Inspiration Estates neighborhoods hardly had time to think before evacuating. Some folks barely got out of their houses before the fire crested over the hill and toward their homes.

The speed at which the fire spread was shocking. It was hard to believe it was really happening.

And yet fire and police officials managed to somehow sound the alarm in time, and with the help of neighbors who went out of their way to look after one another.

By the end, the blaze had blackened more than 5,000 acres, destroyed five homes, damaged three, and – sadly – killed two horses.

It could have been so much worse.

Firefighters were able to halt the fire’s advance at 42nd Avenue in Kennewick before it turned east toward Finley. There it threatened crops and homes — and more people had to be evacuated — before the flames moved south and away from populated areas.

“Severity potential? We could have lost hundreds (of homes), literally hundreds in this wind,” Kennewick Fire Chief Vince Beasley told the Herald.

He credited the teamwork of fire and law enforcement officials throughout the region, as well as the community.

Fire crews were called in from all the Tri-City fire agencies, including Kennewick, Richland and Pasco and rural Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla county fire districts, as well as the Washington State Patrol and other agencies.

In addition, and seemingly out of nowhere, South Hills Church on 27th Avenue opened its doors to evacuees after a member who works for the Kennewick Police Department said they needed a staging area.

People and pets had a place to go to wait out the emergency, thanks to church officials. Pastor Brian Stark said he was heartened by the number of people who came by to bring evacuees food and water.

And fire crews, too, were grateful for the water, snacks and power drinks people provided to them throughout the day and into the night.

This kind of immediate generosity and thoughtfulness is what helps bring a community together in the wake of tragedy.

We live in a tinderbox during the summer, yet in recent years we have managed to escape the serious fire damage that has hit other Northwest communities like Wenatchee, Chelan, Twisp and Winthrop, and towns along the Columbia River Gorge.

On Saturday, we had perhaps our most serious incident in recent memory. Dryness, heat and wind make a deadly combination, and the need for caution against setting off a spark in the brush can’t be overstated.

The cause of this particular fire is unknown, but we know it wasn’t lightning.

Our hearts go out to those who lost homes, property and memories, but most of all we are thankful to the fire crews, the law enforcement officers and all those who pitched in to help their neighbors.

This fire tested our Tri-Cities mettle. We passed.