A massive wildfire burned almost 35,000 acres of the Hanford Site last week, but flames were stopped before they crossed from the Department of Energy facility’s security buffer zone onto the contaminated portion of Hanford east and northeast of Highway 240. By Friday the 275-square-mile wildfire was considered contained within a 117-mile line around the fire footprint.
The fire, called the Range 12 Fire, started July 30 on the Yakima Training Center to the west of Hanford and spread over 94 square miles by the following evening. Authorities decided at that point to set a fire on Rattlesnake Mountain, which is within the security perimeter of Hanford, to protect the nuclear reservation and nearby Benton City.
Firefighters initially tried to set a back fire line at the top of the mountain to preserve as much habitat on the Hanford side of the mountain as possible. The land, which is owned by the Department of Energy and is part of the Hanford security buffer, is closed to the public.
As the fire advanced toward the backside of the mountain on July 31, firefighters abandoned plans to burn just the top of the mountain and moved down to the 1200 Foot Road for safety. Firefighters set a back fire along 6 miles of the 1200 Foot Road, which parallels Highway 240. Highway 240 runs through Hanford, with much of the production portion of the site to the northeast and the security zone, including Rattlesnake Mountain, to the southwest. The back fire burned over the top of Rattlesnake Mountain, away from the main portion of Hanford, merging with and ultimately burning out the Range 12 Fire out after it moved across part of the Hanford security buffer zone to the northwest of Rattlesnake Mountain.
Firefighters had some concern that the fire might flare up again last week after the National Weather Service issued a red flag fire weather warning for winds and low humidity. However, firefighters were able to hold the fire line.
