Kennewick, WA– Smoke drifting into the Tri-Cities on Friday and Saturday is from a wildfire burning in Klickitat County near Bickleton, Washington.
The air quality in the Tri-Cities deteriorated from good to moderate starting Friday afternoon and continuing into Saturday, according to Washington’s Air Monitoring Network.
The smoke could clear Sunday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
More fires are possible over the weekend, with a red flag fire warning issued for the Tri-Cities, Wash., area and stretching as far west as The Dalles, Oregon, and Yakima, Washington.
The warning remains in effect through Sunday due to breezy weather, low afternoon humidity and high temperatures.
In the Tri-Cities, highs of 98 degrees were forecast Saturday and Sunday with light breezes of 5 to 10 mph.
Temperatures should then cool to the low 90s or upper 80s for the upcoming work week.
Benton County Fire District 1 sent an engine and other support to the Newell Road fire 17 miles east of Goldendale after the Washington State Fire Marshall authorized state mobilization Friday evening, with other Tri-Cities area fire agencies also expected to pitch in.
The fire had grown to 9.4 square miles by late Friday. It was burning in grass, brush and at the base of timber and was threatening homes, farms, wheat fields, solar and wind farms, a landfill and livestock, according to the Washington Office of the State Fire Marshal.
