EAST WENATCHEE — Firefighters expected to contain a large brush fire on Badger Mountain by the middle of this afternoon.

The fire never threatened any structures and burned only grassland, said Doug Miller, fire marshal for Douglas County Fire District 2. He did not have an estimate of acreage burned.

The fire, reported at 12:23 p.m., was apparently started by someone target practicing at the North Central Washington Gun Club, which is just east of the Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval, Miller said. He said he did not have any more information on the type of gun or ammunition that may have been involved.

Crews were setting back fires on the southern edge of the fire, Miller said. The fire burned up to a fallow field on the northern side and up to the area of an Aug. 3 burn on the eastern edge. A dirt road was expected to block the fire on the western side.

The fire sent huge plumes of smoke into the air and was visible from miles away.

Miller said there was almost no wind in the area, which helped keep the blaze contained.

Anyone with pictures is invited to e-mail webeditor@wenatcheeworld.com.