Fire closes SR 243
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | May 17, 2026 4:09 PM
UPDAE: As of 4:24 p.m. Sunday, SR 243 has reopened. More information will be added as it becomes available.
MATTAWA — A portion of state Route 243 south of Mattawa has been closed due to a wildfire, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office advised Sunday afternoon.
The closure is in effect for the area of the highway between Road L and Road O Southwest, just west of the Vernita Bridge, according to GCSO.
The blaze was discovered around 1 p.m. near Road N and Road 29 Southwest, according to Grant County Fire District 8 radio transmissions. It was estimated at 150 acres at 1:50 p.m.
It was unknown when the highway would reopen.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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