Fire driven by 30+ mph wind gusts burns Columbia Park near golf course

Cameron Probert
·2 min read

Three acres of Columbia Park remained closed Friday morning after a fire, fueled by wind gusts up to 32 mph, burned through the area.

Several of trees are continuing to smolder, and a tree service is expected to come through the area to take down the unsafe ones, Kennewick Fire Chief Chad Michael told the Herald.

Capt. Tony Jorgensen of the Kennewick Fire Department strings caution tape around a burning tree the morning after a natural cover fire scorched a section of land between the roadway and river in Kennewick’s Columbia Park. The has partially collapsed and is in danger of crashing down completely.
Capt. Tony Jorgensen of the Kennewick Fire Department strings caution tape around a burning tree the morning after a natural cover fire scorched a section of land between the roadway and river in Kennewick’s Columbia Park. The has partially collapsed and is in danger of crashing down completely.

A half-mile stretch of Paul Parish Drive, also known as Columbia Park Trail, remains closed as well.

“We want to keep people out of this area,” he said. “We don’t want to invite or encourage people to come to this area for the foreseeable future.”

Michael said the intensity of the blaze is concerning.

“We’re early in fire season, but the fuels are burning like we’re in July,” he said. “We want to make sure that people are being very, very careful as we’re heading into fire season.”

The fire started about 2 p.m. Thursday in the heavy brush on the north side of the road about 300 yards west of the golf course.

A trees still burns the morning after a natural cover fire scorched a section of land between the roadway and river in Kennewick’s Columbia Park.
A trees still burns the morning after a natural cover fire scorched a section of land between the roadway and river in Kennewick’s Columbia Park.

It’s not certain what started the blaze, but Michael said it’s believed to have been caused by people.

Pasco Fire Department’s boat searched the Columbia River shoreline for homeless people in case anybody was trying to escape the fire, but didn’t find anyone.

When firefighters arrived, they found a thick tangle of Russian olives, tall grass and some trees burning, Michael said. It wasn’t safe to send firefighters into the dense brush, so they focused on keeping it from spreading.

Trees still smolder the morning after a natural cover fire scorched a section of land between the roadway and river in Kennewick’s Columbia Park.
Trees still smolder the morning after a natural cover fire scorched a section of land between the roadway and river in Kennewick’s Columbia Park.

They worked to contain the fire and burned away some of the potential brush and trees ahead of the blaze. They were helped by the wind as it blew the fire toward a green lawn area to the east.

Kennewick firefighters had help from the Pasco Fire Department and Benton County Fire District 1.

No one was hurt and nobody was discovered in the area when firefighters arrived.

While the fire is out, people may see faint smoke in the area for the next couple days, according to a news release from Michael.

The fire department is asking people to refrain from calling about the faint smoke they might see. However, if they see flames outside of what is already burned, they should call 911.

Anyone with information about how the fire started is asked to call the department’s deputy fire marshal at 509-585-4426 or email fireprevention@co.kennewick.wa.us.