Fire near Tri-Cities and West Richland: Map, evacuation updates as wildfire spreads in Benton County, WA

A wildfire near Benton City in Benton County, Washington, had burned about 1,000 acres by early September 26, with no containment reported. The 2nd St Fire is listed near the 11,000 block of NE 2nd St, according to Watch Duty.

A wildfire near Benton City has triggered Level evacuation orders as officials warn residents of an immediate threat and urge them to leave.Local officials have issued a Level 3 evacuation order, meaning people in the affected area must leave immediately because of an immediate wildfire threat.

The evacuation area includes the subdivision accessed by North Valley Drive Way and Pear Drive, including Apple Drive, Cherry Drive, Berry Drive and Plum Drive. The order also covers the Kiona Village Community Mobile Home Park.

The Benton County emergency notice says residents in the Level 3 area should gather their families and pets and leave immediately. Officials also warned that if people choose to stay, emergency responders may not be able to return to help them.

The fire was listed as active and had no reported containment in the latest Watch Duty update available at 3:26 am on September 26.

A temporary evacuation center has been opened at Ki-Be High School, 1205 Horne Drive in Benton City.

Benton County Emergency Services is directing residents to its current emergencies page for further information and updates. The county has also published a Level 3 evacuation area map showing the affected locations.

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The latest information provided by Watch Duty lists the fire at 1,000 acres, with containment shown as not reported. The incident is in Benton County, near Benton City and the Tri-Cities area.

Residents in the Level 3 evacuation zone should follow the evacuation order rather than wait for conditions to change.

Sehjal Gupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times and is part of the US Desk. She covers a wide range of stories from the United States, including politics, sports, entertainment, breaking news, and major global developments. She enjoys working across different beats because every story brings a fresh perspective and an opportunity to explore something different. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sehjal was part of The Times of India, where she headed the International Sports and US Streamers team. She reported on international sports, athlete stories, streamer news, and major developments from around the world. The role gave her the opportunity to work on a diverse range of stories while leading coverage across two evolving news categories. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and believes the experience taught her the importance of staying organised, managing priorities, and adapting to new challenges. Over the years, she has reported on a variety of topics and enjoys taking on stories that keep her curious and encourage her to look beyond the obvious. Expertise: International news, International/US sports, and streamer coverage. Interests: Global affairs, geopolitics, politics, and entertainment. Outside work, Sehjal loves travelling, watching movies, and exploring new places to eat. She enjoys discovering new cultures and believes that some of the best stories and experiences come from stepping outside her comfort zone and exploring unfamiliar places.Read More