Containment of Yakima County wildfire, WA’s largest this year, expected by evening

Wildfire crews expect to have a 645-acre blaze burning near Old Naches Highway in Yakima County contained by Thursday’s end.

The wildfire should be extinguished by Saturday, Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Thomas Kyle-Milward said. Reported Wednesday on DNR land, the fire is the state’s largest so far this year and comes a few weeks before the usual wildfire season, Kyle-Milward said.

Washington’s spring season has been unusually warm and dry compared with previous years. Yakima County is no exception from the dry conditions that led to the grass fires near Naches.

Climate change has been a main driver in the increased risk of wildfires in the U.S. West, according to research from a 2021 study supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The land burned by U.S. wildfires has been increasing each year since the 1980s, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

About 87% of wildfires nationally are caused by humans. The state DNR is pushing for responsible recreation and fire prevention, especially considering the region’s exceptionally dry conditions, Kyle-Milward said.

“This is really not the time to be taking any kind of risks or acting irresponsibly out on the landscape,” he said. “Let’s make sure that we’re not the spark and not causing additional small fires that would divert suppression response from potential larger fires.”

The cause of the wildfire near Old Naches Highway is still under investigation.

For more information about fire safety, visit www.dnr.wa.gov/wildfireprevention.