Wanapum fire, near Beverly, burns about 370 acres
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
A fire near Wanapum Dam on Saturday afternoon closed State Route 243 for about five hours.
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 9, 2025 5:37 PM
BEVERLY — A wildland fire closed a portion of State Route 243 north of Beverly Burke Road for about four and a half hours Saturday near Wanapum Dam and the Wanapum Village.
The fire was reported at about 5 p.m., according to a statement from the Washington Department of Transportation. The road reopened at about 9:30 p.m.
The fire was estimated at about 372 acres and was listed as contained as of Monday morning. Eric Linn, Grant County Fire District 10 chief, said land along the highway near Wanapum Dam is owned by a number of different federal and state agencies, which scrambles the fire management picture.
While the fire was in GCFD 10's coverage area, the Federal Bureau of Land Management was the lead agency, Linn said. The BLM spokesperson could not be reached by press time.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated throughout and is finalized.
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