Flaming Tumbleweeds From Fire Torch Vehicles in Richland

Flaming tumbleweeds are said to be the cause of numerous vehicles being burned or damaged Sunday afternoon in Richland.

According to officials around 11:30am a spark from a passing train may have triggered a fire which broke out near Stevens and Saint Streets in Richland. The smoke cause Highway 240 to be shut down for a while before it was brought under control.

But the worst damage occurred due to flaming tumbleweeds that were blown hundreds of feet from the actual fire. These bounding balls of fire actually damaged or caused at least cars in the surrounding area to catch fire!

Some of the damaged vehicles were in areas where there was a lot of dry vegatation, and the flaming tumbleweeds quickly lit them up. Officials say it's important to make sure your home and land are clear of vegetation that could go up in a fire. No one was injured from the blaze.