Vantage wildfire destroys two homes, closes Interstate 90
Vehicle traveling on old highway suspected of sparking blaze.
VANTAGE — Evacuation notices were lifted and travel on Interstate 90 was reopened Wednesday night after emergency responders battled a dangerous, fast-moving wildfire near the Vantage township, said the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning (July 9).
No injuries to residents or first responders were reported, but the blaze destroyed two primary residences at the north end of Vantage and caused extensive damage to equipment on a third property, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
A vehicle traveling on the Vantage Highway is believed to have accidentally started the fire, which was reported around 4:50 p.m. and involved about 575 total acres. The driver identified himself and was cooperating with authorities in their investigation, said the sheriff’s office. The Vantage Highway remained closed today while the Kittitas County fire marshal was assessing the extent of damage which included downed power lines and other infrastructure.
The sheriff’s office issued Level 3 immediate evacuation notices to all persons within Vantage, with deputies going door to door warning people to leave immediately — in some cases just minutes before the fire reached their property. Residents on the south side of Interstate 90 were notified of a Level 2 “get ready” evacuation status.
The state Department of Transportation closed both directions of travel on the freeway due to smoke and fire danger. Evacuation levels were lowered around 9 p.m. Wednesday, when eastbound lanes of I-90 reopened, followed a short time later by the westbound lanes.
All evacuation notices for the Vantage area were lifted at 10 a.m. today.
Wednesday evening, a state mobilization response was authorized for the Ryegrass Coulee Fire at 7:45 p.m., providing two wildland strike teams and air resources to aid in containment efforts. Approximately 80 personnel were involved in suppressing the blaze at its peak, with multiple aircraft drawing water from the adjacent Columbia River.
“We are grateful to the firefighters, deputies, dispatchers, aircraft crews, and partner agencies whose fast work helped protect lives and limit the damage from a dangerous, fast-moving fire,” the sheriff’s office in its online post. “We also thank Vantage residents for responding quickly to evacuation notices and urge everyone to continue avoiding the Vantage area while crews and investigators remain at work.”
The National Weather Service had issued a red-flag warning Tuesday for central Washington, advising that hot weather, low humidity, and gusting westerly winds posed an increased risk of rapidly moving wildland fires in the region.
In Grant County, a Level 2 evacuation notice was announced Wednesday morning in the rural Quincy area in the vicinity of Road 13-NW and Adams Road due to a possible fire threat. The advisory was lifted later in the day.
