Fire crews made good progress Monday on the Burbank Fire 8 miles northwest of Yakima, securing containment lines along Interstate 82.
The 13,000-acre fire was 50% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to an update from the Southeast Washington incident command team.
All evacuation notices are canceled, Yakima Valley Emergency Management said Tuesday morning.
Interstate 82 and highway rest areas near Selah were open Monday night after crews reinforced containment lines west of the Fred G. Redmon bridge and northward along I-82 to the crest of South Umtanum Ridge. Along the eastern and southern perimeter, resources focused on mop up and securing containment lines.
Crews are focused on mopping up along the entire fire perimeter on Tuesday. Many resources will be released as they are no longer needed, the update said.
The fire started after 4 p.m. on Saturday by I-82 milepost 18 in the Burbank Creek area and spread east into the Yakima Training Center. The cause is under investigation.
A fire weather watch is in effect for the region from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening. Increased wind and low relative humidity mean fires can spread more easily, according to the National Weather Service.
A cold front moving through Thursday will increase relative humidity in some areas, but stronger winds will still be a concern for new fire starts and existing fires, the weather service said.
