Fire that started near Connell nearly threatened neighborhood

A fire that started near the intersection of Highway 395 and Highway 17 near Connell on Monday forced the southbound lanes of Highway 395 to close for several hours and nearly threatened a Connell neighborhood.

As of Tuesday night, the Manton Way Fire was about 70 percent contained, according to Franklin County Fire District 3 officials. The fire began around 1 p.m. on Oct. 7 and had burned through 8,700 acres, according to the most recent update. The fire had a close proximity to homes in Connell, but was separated by a road and isn’t expected to threaten any structures.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, according to an update provided by Franklin County Fire District 3 on Facebook on Oct. 8. Over 50 firefighters were on scene to combat the fire, including strike teams from Franklin County, Walla Walla County, Benton County, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.