Benton County Fire Protection District No 2

05/26/2026

A great message from Benton County, WA Sheriff's Office. Too often we encounter drones over our incidents.

Please remember: “If you fly, we can’t”

Having aerial support on our incidents makes for a big difference, please refrain from grounding those resources.

Thank you!

Public Safety Announcement:

The Benton County Sheriff's Office and numerous Fire Departments responded to the Badger Canyon Fire over the weekend. As fire crews worked around the clock, the air crews were met with some interference. Drone operators were flying way too close to the fire and the air crews.

Reminder: Per the FAA, Drone operators who conduct unsafe or unauthorized operations face fines up to $75,000 per violation.

More importantly, it's an unnecessary safety risk and distraction to the pilots and ground crews. Those little drones can cause major issues during an emergency. If there's aircraft nearby, your drone should be on the ground.

Please don't divert critical resources and have us follow your drone home. 👍

05/23/2026

05/21/2026

Community Notice – Air Quality Update
We are currently experiencing some haze moving into our area. This may impact local air quality, especially for sensitive individuals.

For real-time air quality updates, please visit the WA Smoke Blog:
👉 https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Please take appropriate precautions if you are sensitive to smoke, and stay informed as conditions change.

Welcome to the Washington Smoke blog, a partnership between state, county, and federal agencies, and Tribes. We coordinate to collectively share information for Washington communities affected by wildfire smoke.

05/06/2026

🚴‍♂️ Community Notice – Inland Empire Bike Ride This Saturday! 🚴‍♀️

We’re sharing the official Inland Empire Bike Ride post so you can view the route maps and details 📍➡️ please take a moment to check it out!

Expect to see cyclists throughout our area this Saturday as they travel along the designated routes. Let’s help keep everyone safe by:

✅ Being alert and patient
✅ Sharing the road
✅ Giving riders plenty of space

Your awareness helps make this a safe and enjoyable event for everyone! 🙌

🚨 Please review the shared post for maps and route information.

🚲🙏

04/09/2026

Join Us for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! 💊

The Coalition for a Healthy Benton City, Benton City Chamber of Commerce, and Benton County, WA Sheriff's Office are teaming up to provide a safe, responsible, and free way to dispose of unused or expired medications.

📅 Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Station 210, 1304 Dale Ave, Benton City

Let’s work together to protect our families, our community, and our environment by keeping unused medications out of the wrong hands and out of our water systems.

💙 We hope to see you there!



https://www.benton2.org/drug-take-back

03/23/2026

As your nice weekend comes to an end, know you can sleep well knowing that the Yakima River levels are starting to taper off.

With less precipitation than expected with the last rain event, the rivers level will not reach what was originally predicted.

As of current models, we will still crest tomorrow morning, 3/23/26 at 0500hrs (5am) however, only at 13.3', which is just a 0.14' increase over the current river level at the time of this posting.

Please continue to be mindful and situationally aware when around the water's edge and please use caution, should you find water over the roadways, not driving through those areas.

We are thankful this even was not like the one in December but as always, we are continuously monitoring, pre-planning, preparing, and being in-service and ready at any moment's notice for our citizens emergencies.

As of right now, the areas in the "Ready" level 1 evacuation areas, will remain, until we have seen the Yakima River level actually recede.

03/23/2026

In times of need, whether it's for human safety, property conservation and/or animal safety, the working relationships we have with our Mutual Aid and Automatic Aid partners, is real GOAT like!

With these partnerships, great things are accomplished!

Thank you Columbia Basin Dive Rescue for the assist and thank you to all members of both agencies for helping citizens, and their pets/livestock members, when in need!

CBDR’s write up as well:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CPmSYacSp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

03/21/2026

We have been very closely monitoring the forecasted Yakima River level, to include making daily observations of actual river levels and behaviors in the field. Today, we worked with Benton County Emergency Services to initiate the "READY, SET, GO" evacuation concept, and we do currently have some low level (elevation), near riverbank areas, that are within what we have deemed, the "Ready" - Level 1, evacuation areas.

At the time of this posting, the Yakima River is at 11.23' and it is forecasted to crest at 14.07' on Monday at 0500hrs (5am). As usual, this is a forecasted river level, and forecasted date/timeframe of such river level. This does not take into account any potential upriver catastrophic failures that could take place however, typically these forecasts are pretty spot on, but do fluctuate on a daily if not hourly basis.

Just this last December we saw the Yakima River crest at 16.27', so while we are forecasted for quite a bit lower, we want people to be aware and to have situational awareness. With the saturation of the riverbanks from the previous flooding, there is less absorption taking place, so the river level is rising faster than normal as well, per field observations.

Today, there has already been (1) water rescue incident on the Yakima River, and it is our goal and hope that we do not have any further water incidents in the region. Please be cautions around what would be "normal" riverbanks, and should you find it necessary to get near the water, please have a personal flotation device on. Do not make attempts to drive through bodies of water and please use the 911 system when you have an emergency.

Share in this posting is the "Ready, Set, Go" evacuation model. CodeRED messages, sent from Benton County Emergency Services, were sent out earlier today as well, to the areas affected and/or areas of potential.

Please enjoy the weekend but most importantly, respect the river, the hydraulics of such, and the dangers that come with.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Yakima River in our area. Residents in the Benton City area between Abby Ave and the Yakima River have been advised of Level 1 Evacuation. A Level 1 Evacuation means to BE READY for possible evacuation, and to gather emergency supplies and belongings and make preparations in case you need to evacuate.

03/20/2026

FYI... 🥰

The Benton-Franklin Health District hosts a monthly car seat clinic on the fourth Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Kadlec parking garage. No appointment is needed.

Stop by to learn how to safely harness your child in their seat and how to install the seat in your vehicle.

03/11/2026

High Wind Warning
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
930 AM PDT Wed Mar 11, 2026

HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 AM PDT THURSDAY.

WHAT... Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected.

WHERE... Foothills of the Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington, Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington, and North Central Oregon.

WHEN... From 5 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT Thursday.

IMPACTS... Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Patchy blowing dust may reduce visibility.

PRECAUTIONARY / PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ... People are urged to secure loose objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind. Watch for falling debris and tree limbs. Use caution if you must drive.

Areas affected: Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon, Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon, Foothills of the Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon, North Central Oregon, Lower Columbia Basin of Washington, Foothills of the Blue Mountains of Washington,

Including the cities of: Heppner, Maupin, Dayton, Waitsburg, Athena, Pilot Rock, Prosser, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Condon, Hermiston, Boardman, Pendleton, Dufur, Moro, Fossil, Connell, and Ione.
https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=WAZ028&warncounty=WAC005&firewxzone=WAZ691&local_place1=Benton%20City%20WA&product1=High+Wind+Warning&lat=46.2752&lon=-119.4727