A brush fire in Richland destroyed 15 acres of land after flames ripped through the area.
The fire started around 11:30 Sunday morning near the 240 and Saint Street in Richland. According to the Richland Fire Department, initial reports indicate that a train had just gone by. However, firefighters have not been able to confirm the starting factor.
Officials say the fire spread rapidly. Outside agencies were called in to assist including Benton County Fire District #1, Benton County Fire District #4, Hanford Fire Department and West Richland.
There were some vehicles destroyed at a nearby RV storage unit. Two vehicles, three RVs, two passenger cars, a pick-up truck and a box truck were a loss. Firefighters say the contributing factor to the damage was the lack of defensible space.
"They had about an 8 foot high and 10 foot wide of tumbleweeds against the fence," said Battalion Chief Brenda Rodgers with the Richland Fire Department. "So once it got there, there was no defensible space for us."