Yakima Firefighters battled flames from a burning arborvitae in the area of South 53rd Avenue and Chestnut Wednesday (Sept. 4) afternoon. The fire, reported shortly after noon, might have started in a faulty transformer or by downed power lines. An investigation is underway. The fire came close to a home and an RV, but firefighters were able to douse the flames before anything else burned.
The fire also involved power lines, resulting in a power failure for Pacific Power customers in the immediate area. Crews expected power to be restored by 3 p.m. Wednesday.