UPDATE: All evacuation orders have been lowered to Level 1.
BEVERLY, Wash. – A 20-acre wildfire on State Route (SR) 243 has caused traffic delays, affecting the area between there and the Columbia River. Residents in the vicinity have been issued evacuation orders.
According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the fire, which covered 10 acres in Beverly, was sparked when a tractor veered off the road and caught fire. The tractor driver escaped unharmed. The Sheriff’s Office updated that the fire has expanded and is now 20-acres.
Both the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office announced the closure of all lanes on SR243 until the smoke and fire were brought under control. WSP reported that the fire was advancing toward the Columbia River.
Currently, no specific timeframe is provided for reopening all lanes.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office issued a level 3 evacuation from the areas A Street to Morrison Street to the Columbia River before it was later lowered to a level 1.
