A series of brush fires disrupted traffic for several hours Wednesday in the Sifton neighborhood.
Emergency crews were dispatched at 10:43 a.m. to Northeast Padden Parkway and Northeast 117th Avenue. A series of brush fires stretched about one-half mile from Northeast 117th to Northeast 137th avenues along Northeast Padden Parkway, Vancouver firefighter-paramedic Kevin Stromberg said.
The main fire was extinguished quickly, Stromberg said. But fire personnel spent several hours putting out smaller ones and checking for potential hot spots to prevent re-ignition.
The westbound lanes of Highway 500 near Padden Parkway were blocked for several hours as the fires were put out, according to state Department of Transportation tweets. As the fires were subdued, the closure was limited to the right lane before the road fully reopened.
The fire department sent 12 firefighters, three engines, two water tenders and one brush truck to the scene, Stromberg said.
