Wildfire closes 20+ miles of highway across Hanford nuclear site Saturday night
More than 20 miles of Highway 240 across the Hanford nuclear site and part of Highway 24 was closed by a wildfire for a few hours starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Wind gusts of up to 26 mph in the area fanning the flames Saturday night.
The Hanford site alerted its employees that Highway 240, sometimes called the Hanford highway, was closed from Highway 225 north of Benton City to the intersection with Highway 24.
The highway runs between the section of the nuclear reservation closed to the public and Hanford Reach National Monument land, including Rattlesnake Mountain, also closed to the public.
Highway 24 was closed from the Vernita Bridge across the Columbia River to the Silver Dollar cafe, according to Hanford officials.
About 7 p.m. the Washington state Department of Transportation announced the Highway 24 closure but both roadways reopened a few hours later.
No information about the specific location of the size of the fire was immediately available.
