Vehicle causes wildfire near Soap Lake
What's left of the vehicle that started a 30-acre fire sits in a field near Soap Lake Monday afternoon.
SOAP LAKE - A vehicle driven off the road Monday afternoon caught fire, causing a wildfire near Soap Lake.
The blaze was ignited about 1:30 p.m. when a Nissan Maxima heading north caught fire along state Route 17 after it veered off the road to the right, coming to a stop in the field just off the highway, about one mile south of Soap Lake. The driver suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to the State Patrol. The vehicle was destroyed in the fire.
High winds reportedly caused the fire to spread north, covering about 30 acres.
No structures were threatened by the fire.
The fire was declared contained just after 2:30 p.m.
Grant County Fire Districts 7 and 13 and the Ephrata Fire Department assisted at the scene.
A short stretch of the highway was closed while firefighters worked to suppress the fire, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office.
Multiple wildland fires were also reported during the weekend. Several outbuildings were destroyed in a fire on Road A.5 and 12.8 Northwest Friday afternoon, burning about 20 acres, and a structure fire near Soap Lake caused a small wildland fire Saturday night. Nobody was hurt in the fires, according to Fire District 13 officials.