Yakima Delta fire started at homeless camp
By Terry Murry on Friday, May 7th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
RICHLAND, Wash. – Investigators believe the Yakima River Delta Fire last week was started at a homeless camp. The encampment on the west side of Highway 240 was stocked with cook stoves and a fire pit.
The report to the Richland City Council from Battalion Chief Randy Aust also included information about the Columbia Point Fire which started the next day. Aust said it was not caused by hot embers from the first fire, but was also human caused.
Aust said that the investigation has not yet revealed the exact circumstances of what sparked the two fires. Firefighters did say they saw several individuals leaving an area on the point. The fires burned an estimated 230 acres and officials fear they signal the start of a difficult fire year.
The fires are expected to continue to smolder for as long as a month because of the thick vegetation in the marshy area.
