I-90 closed at Vantage as Ryegrass Coulee wildfire spreads

Interstate 90 is closed in both directions near Vantage, Washington, after the rapidly moving Ryegrass Coulee wildfire prompted Level 3 Go Now evacuations Wednesday evening. Eastbound traffic stops at exit 115 in Kittitas County; westbound lanes are shut in Grant County. WSDOT reports no estimated reopening time due to active fire and smoke.

Key Takeaways

• The Ryegrass Coulee fire near Vantage triggered a Level 3 Go Now evacuation, meaning residents should leave immediately.
• I-90 is closed eastbound at exit 115 in Kittitas County and westbound in Grant County, with Vantage Highway shut at Parke Creek Road.
• The blaze was reported shortly before 5 p.m. and had grown to about 500 acres by early evening, according to KATU.
• WSDOT cited fire activity and poor visibility from smoke near the Vantage Bridge and gave no reopening estimate.
• Vantage sits on a major cross-state corridor roughly 10 miles south of The Gorge Amphitheatre, so closures affect more than the town itself.

A fast-moving wildfire in the Vantage area of Kittitas County forced urgent evacuations and major road closures Wednesday evening, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office and state transportation officials. The sheriff's office described the scene in social media posts as a rapidly moving wildfire in the Vantage area and later identified it as the Ryegrass Coulee Fire.

The town of Vantage is under a Level 3 Go Now evacuation order. In Washington's three-level system, that is the highest alert and means people face immediate danger and should evacuate right away. Deputies were going door to door to notify residents and help some leave, the sheriff's office said in a 6:15 p.m. update reported by KOMO.

What roads are closed near Vantage right now?

Officials closed multiple routes around the Columbia River crossing. Vantage Highway is shut at Parke Creek Road because of the fire, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office.

Interstate 90 remains closed in both directions. Eastbound lanes are closed at milepost 115 near Kittitas, and westbound lanes are closed in Grant County east of the Vantage Bridge, according to WSDOT and county officials. In a social media post at 6 p.m. Wednesday, WSDOT said westbound I-90 was closed at milepost 137 just east of the Vantage Bridge because of fire activity and poor visibility from smoke.

Drivers should not expect a quick detour through town. With Vantage Highway also blocked, the closure affects one of the main east-west routes across central Washington. Check WSDOT's real-time travel map before heading toward Ellensburg, Moses Lake, or Spokane.

How large is the Ryegrass Coulee fire near Vantage?

The Ryegrass Coulee fire was reported shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday and was burning west of town near Vantage Highway, according to KATU. By early evening, KATU reported the blaze at about 500 acres.

KOMO reported at 6:15 p.m. that the fire remained active as deputies continued evacuation work. The sheriff's office urged anyone in the Level 3 zone to leave immediately and not delay to gather belongings.

Fast growth is why officials escalated to Go Now orders so quickly. When a major interstate shuts near a small river town, delays stack up for commuters, freight haulers, and anyone with time-sensitive plans on either side of the Cascades.

Why does an I-90 closure at Vantage matter beyond the town?

Vantage is a small Columbia River community, but I-90 through Kittitas and Grant counties carries heavy regional traffic. KATU noted the town sits about 10 miles south of The Gorge Amphitheatre, a major concert venue that draws large crowds on peak weekends.

A full freeway shutdown at the Vantage Bridge can mean added fuel costs, missed work, and scrapped travel plans. For households balancing jobs, side income, or delivery routes across the state, that kind of disruption hits the wallet—not just the schedule.

Our Wealth Hacks & Passive Income section covers practical ways to cushion income when unexpected events strike, from emergency savings to flexible work setups. Wednesday's closure is a live example of how fast local emergencies can ripple into everyday finances.

When will I-90 reopen near the Vantage Bridge?

As of Wednesday evening, there was no estimated reopening time. WSDOT said in its 6 p.m. post that fire activity and smoke near the Vantage Bridge prevented a safe reopening and that officials had no timeline yet.

The Seattle Times reported that county and state officials were still responding to the fire and that more information would follow as conditions changed. Until WSDOT and fire agencies clear the roadway, travelers should plan for extended delays and avoid nonessential trips through the closure zone.

Residents under evacuation orders should follow Kittitas County alerts and leave immediately if told to do so. For everyone else, the priority is staying off closed roads and letting emergency crews work. This remains a developing situation.