Firefighters in the Tri-Cities say they have been responding to an unusually high number of vehicle fires this year.
Chief Lonnie Click with Benton County Fire District #1 said those vehicle fires often lead to roadside starts of wild land fires. This is mainly due to dry vegetation going directly up to the side of the road, quickly getting set ablaze when a car on fire pulls over to the side.
Click said the main cause of the vehicle fires are turning out to be mechanical.
"It's either a trailer going bad or a tire going bad, brakes, chains, things like that," Click said. "People really need to be aware of the condition of their vehicles when they're driving down the road."
Drivers can potentially be held liable for starting major fires if it turns out negligence played a role.