Firefighters contained a 1,300-acre fire in Benton County on Tuesday after it jumped the Yakima River within hours of starting the day before.
The Old Inland Empire Fire stopped growing Tuesday, and crews were working on mop-up and making sure nothing reignited overnight.
Crews are investigating the cause and evaluating property damage, according to Benton County Fire District 2 PIO John Derderian.
Sparking Monday afternoon, the fire jumped the Yakima River and prompted the Department of Transportation to close portions of I-82 due to heavy smoke.
Officials issued evacuation warnings for the surrounding area until that evening. Some outbuildings and equipment were burned, though no one was injured.
Firefighters statewide are wary of the risks posed by firework use, especially on the Fourth of July.
"Please, please, please, no aerial fireworks tonight. I would really love it if everyone could just take a sec and think before they light the fuse," Derderian said Tuesday. "Think twice, light once. That's my motto for the night."
In Skamania County, the Tunnel 5 fire started Sunday morning and has now engulfed over 500 acres, with 5% of the perimeter contained by nearly 200 responding personnel. The cause of this fire is also under investigation.
Authorities issued level three evacuation notices, instructing residents within a 2-mile radius of the blaze to leave immediately. The Red Cross established an evacuee shelter in the county fairgrounds. Officials will reassess evacuation notices at 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Skamania County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. Level one "get ready" evacuation notices are in place in parts of neighboring Klickitat County.
