'Rapidly moving wildfire' breaks out along I-90 in Vantage area

At least one structure burned and residents were evacuated after a "rapidly moving wildfire" broke out along Interstate 90 in the Vantage area on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The Ryegrass Coulee fire closed portions of the interstate eastbound at mile marker 115 and westbound at mile marker 138 east of the Vantage Bridge, the Washington State Department of Transportation posted on X.

The Vantage Highway was also closed.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office said eastbound 90 had reopened as of about 9 p.m., but westbound traffic was expected to remain closed "a little longer."

Mandatory evacuations were in place north of the interstate in Vantage, but all evacuations were later downgraded to a "be ready" warning. The sheriff's office said one structure fire was "still being actively fought." There also were "a number of downed powerlines" from the "rapidly moving wildfire."

It broke out around 5:30 p.m., and the sheriff's office said a cause had not been determined as of Wednesday night.

No additional details were immediately available.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 11:41 PM.