Cold Creek Fire Chews Through Washington's Hanford Reach Monument

UPDATE (July 20, 10:52 a.m. PT) — A wildfire continued burning Friday near the Hanford Nuclear Site on and around the Hanford Reach National Monument. The Cold Creek Fire is burning sensitive, federally protected habitat. As of Friday evening it had burned more than 40,000 acres and was 40% contained. No injuries had been reported Saturday and no homes or out buildings have burned.

The fire began Thursday afternoon, and was already a big burn by sundown. Firefighters battled the blaze in heavy winds that had prompted a Red Flag Warning of critical fire danger for much of central and eastern Washington on Thursday. Winds had calmed Friday morning, and firefighters worked to burn areas ahead of the fire to starve it of fuel.

This fire was burning in an area that’s been protected ground for many decades. It was part of the massive Hanford Reservation and now is a protected area managed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife. This habitat of sagebrush and bunch grass is home to rare plants and charismatic critters like sage grouse, pygmy rabbits and burrowing owls.

It's burned south of the Columbia River between the Tri-Cities and Mattawa. The area is prone to quickly spreading fires in the summer with its fine fuels of grasses and sage brush. Earlier this week, the so-called Powerline Fire in Grant County near Mattawa prompted evacuations in that town along the Columbia River south of Vantage.