Brush fire near Lind grows quickly on Sunday afternoon

A fast-moving brush fire briefly closed Highway 21 near Lind in Adams County and prompted evacuations on Sunday afternoon.

Estimates of the fire’s size by separate agencies differed wildly Sunday evening. The State Fire Marshal’s Office reported the blaze at 20,000 acres, or roughly 31 square miles. Deputy State Fire Marshal Amy Thornton confirmed that total. The Washington Department of Natural Resources put the fire at 2,100 acres as of 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

By 6 p.m. Sunday, traffic was moving slowly on Highway 21 behind a pilot car, the Washington Department of Transportation reported.

The fire has prompted Level 3 evacuations in Adams County, but Thornton did not immediately have information on the extent of the evacuated areas Sunday evening.

The fire was reported just before 11 a.m. Sunday and is burning in sage, grass and wheat, according to the fire marshal’s office. The fire is threatening crops, homes and infrastructure, according to the news release.

State firefighting resources have been sent to battle the blaze, according to the news release.

The Washington Department of Transportation advised the public to avoid the area two miles east of town in a tweet.