VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters were scrambling to fight fires across Benton and Franklin counties and the western edge of Walla Walla County over the weekend, with the start of summer still a week away. One fire east of Benton City was forcing some residents to be evacuated as it burned near the Old Inland Empire Highway just north of Interstate 82. The blaze also knocked out power in Prosser.

About 3:30 p.m. Sunday the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team said incident management teams were arriving to help with fires burning in the Juniper Dunes area of Franklin County and near the Twin Sisters in Walla Walla County just across the Columbia River from Benton County. As of Sunday afternoon what appeared to be the largest wildland fire was burning in the area of the Juniper Dunes recreation and wilderness areas northeast of Pasco.

It had grown to 600 acres, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. A number of fire trucks were dispatched to the Juniper Dunes fire just before 8 p.m. Saturday to near Kruse Road, west of the area popular with off-road vehicles, hikers and equestrians. The fire chiefs association reported the fire burning mostly northeast of Juniper Dunes Road on Sunday.

Tri-City Herald – Metered Site

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