Fire scorches acreage near Yakima’s Rotary Lake

YAKIMA — A fire near Yakima’s Rotary Lake on Sunday afternoon sent up a plume of smoke and water vapor that could be seen – and smelled – from several parts of the Upper Yakima Valley.

The fire was first reported around 3:30 p.m., and it took firefighters from the Yakima Fire Department and four county fire districts about an hour to bring it under control, said Rich Elliott, with Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue.

He estimates the fire – which is contained by the Yakima Greenway trail system and the Yakima River – at 10 to 15 acres. There is no known cause.

Firefighters and crews from the state Department of Natural Resources will likely be on the scene for the next few days for overhaul and to cut down trees that are in danger of falling.

As a result, there may be limited trail and park access for the next few days, he said.

While putting out hot spots Sunday afternoon, firefighters were kept away from certain parts of the burn site because of falling trees and branch hazards.

“But as long as the weather cooperates, this shouldn’t get significantly bigger,” Elliott said.

Despite the fire’s relatively small size, Elliott said weather conditions and largely healthy trees and shrubs contributed to the large amount of visible smoke and water vapor.