A wildfire spread quickly about 2,800 acres of the Hanford nuclear reservation Sunday night.
No radiologically contaminated areas or buildings burned, said Rae Moss, spokeswoman for Mission Support Alliance, the Hanford contractor in charge of the Hanford Fire Department.
The fire was spotted at about 6:45 p.m. at about five acres and growing quickly because of breezy weather. It apparently was caused by a lightning strike. At about 9:45 p.m. the Wye Barricade, the southern secure entrance to Hanford, was closed to help with firefighting efforts just to the north.
The worker entrance reopened about midnight when the fire was under control.
The fire burned just north of the Wye Barricade between Route 4 South and Route 2 South, which come together to form a “V” near the secure entrance.