Fire near SR 243 has highway closed
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
A fire along State Route 26 near Wanapum Dam, pictured, has the highway closed as fire crews work to get it contained.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | June 7, 2025 8:24 PM
UPDATE: June 7, 8:24 p.m. - The fire is reported at more than 200 acres now and the highway remains closed.
WANAPUM VILLAGE – Drivers will have to look for alternate routes along State Route 243 between Beverly and the junction with State Route 26, near Wanapum Village. The Washington Department of Transportation has issued an alert saying the road is closed due to a wildfire in the area.
Thomas Kyle-Milward, communications manager for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, said the fire had burned about 100 acres as of 5 p.m. Saturday. The road closure was reported at 4:54 p.m. Saturday.
This is a developing story, and will be updated as conditions change.
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