Brush fire causes highways to close near Lind Coulee

WARDEN — A large brush fire north of Warden along state Route 17 near milepost 43 in the Lind Coulee area temporarily closed the highway Wednesday evening, according to state troopers.

First responders were dispatched at 6:40 p.m. to the scene of the fire and state routes 17 and 262 were initially closed due to poor visibility and to allow firefighting equipment onto the scene, according to Washington State Patrol Public Information Officer John Bryant.

SR-17 has since been reopened, though southbound SR-262 was still partially closed as of 8 p.m., Bryant added. Initial reports indicated that firefighters were beginning to contain the fire, though size and containment estimates were not immediately available.

— Emry Dinman