Fire crews in Grant County were busy on Tuesday afternoon corralling a brush fire near Moses Lake.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office says the North Lake Fire sparked at around 4 p.m. in the 9000 block of Neppel Road Northeast.

Firefighters at the scene battled brisk winds and heavy smoke, which impacted traffic on State Route 17 (SR-17) and led to the highway's closure between Grape Drive Northeast and Road 10 Northeast.

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The stiff breezes eventually pushed the flames across SR-17, but crews managed to contain the blaze after it had torched approximately 30 acres by around 6 p.m. and the highway was re-opened a short time later.

Officials say the fire was sparked by a vehicle that backfired near a patch of dry grass.

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Gallery Credit: ASHLEY SOLLARS

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