Interstate 90 closed in Spokane County as Gray fire burns

Interstate 90 is closed between mile markers 257 and 270 due to the Gray fire, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

I-90 had previously been closed at mile marker 245 and the Highway 2 interchange at mile marker 277, causing lengthy detours, WSDOT said.

Crews moved the closure points Sunday night to consolidate the detour and use only Highway 904 through Cheney, the department said on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Highway 904, now open and serving as the primary detour, was previously closed at the Tyler and I-90 interchange. Southbound Highway 231 has also reopened, WSDOT said.

The Gray fire, one of the region’s largest blazes, began near Medical Lake in Spokane County around noon Friday and has grown to 12,000 acres.

The fire killed at least one person, destroyed more than 185 buildings and prompted Spokane County to declare a state of emergency Saturday, The Spokesman-Review reported.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Cpl. Mark Gregory said a body was found in the area burned by the Oregon Road fire in North Spokane County on Sunday afternoon, The Spokesman-Review reported. A cause had not been determined.

This story was originally published August 21, 2023 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Interstate 90 closed in Spokane County as Gray fire burns."