13K acre wildfire forces evacuations, closes roads from Tri-Cities to Walla Walla
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- U.S. Highway 12 is closed both directions from Wallula Junction to Touchet due to fire.
- Watch Duty reported 822 acres burned after the fire was reported at 10:48.
- A level three evacuation orders residents near Pierce’s Green Valley RV Park and Cameo.
A fast-moving fire Monday shut down the main highway between Tri-Cities and Walla Walla.
The fire and a multi-vehicle crash initially caused both directions of Highway 12 to close from Wallula Junction to Touchet. Watch Duty said more than 13,300 acres have burned since the fire began Monday morning.
There were five crashes near Touchet on Monday as drivers lost visibility along the smoky highway about 10:30 a.m., said Washington State Patrol Trooper Daniel Mosqueda told the Tri-City Herald. A semi truck also hit a guardrail.
No one was seriously hurt, he said.
One driver said the smoke was so thick that she hit something but couldn’t tell what it was, and it broke her axle.
The fire burned 1,000 acres of the Wallula Unit at McNary National Wildlife Refuge, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Highway 12 was reopened between Touchet and Wallula Junction around 10 p.m. Monday night.
At 5 p.m. Monday incident command requested a closure of Touchet North Road between Highway 12 and State Route 124 after the fire reached the 7600 block of the road.
Level 3 evacuations were in place as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, alerting residents to evacuate immediately from areas near Pierce’s Green Valley RV Park and Cameo Heights, as well as those near Ash Hollow Road extending west and north to Dodd Road and Touchet North Road west to Ash Hollow Road, then north to Dodd Road.
Level 2 evacuations are in effect from two miles east of Touchet North to Highway 124, Nine Mile Highway from Highway 12 to Dodd Road and the Johnson Road intersection, Byrnes Road from Byerley Road to Highway 12, Ash Hollow from Cummins Road to Johnson Road, Touchet North Road from Johnson Road to Cummins Road, Touchet North and Legro intersection and Dodd Road at 7652 Dodd Road.
The American Red Cross opened at Touchet High School, 90 Champion St., for those needing helping because of the fire.
A second emergency shelter was opened in Prescott at 202 W. First Ave. next to city hall.
Emergency officials also were asking citizens not to call 911 unless it’s a serious situation or life-threatening emergency.
The fire is south of the Walla Walla River and is spreading north, according to Watch Duty, a nonprofit online service that issues alerts on wildfires and flooding.
Walla Walla District 5 fire crews are getting help from other area fire agencies, and assistance from a wildland strike team has been requested, according to initial reports.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 1:33 PM.