One Person Dies in Smoke Caused Accident

Update: Thursday Aug 24, 3:00 p.m.

One person has died in the accident caused by smoke from a brush fire near Ryegrass on I-90. The collision involved a semi, one truck pulling a travel trailer, one truck, and a car. The deceased was a passenger in the truck pulling the trailer. The driver is in serious condition.

Poor visibility caused by smoke caused the collision, however, WSP is still investigating the sequence that initiated the accident.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Update: Thursday Aug 24, 1:30 p.m.

There is now one lane of traffic going in both directions. About 60 fire personnel from Kittitas Valley Fire Districts #2, #4, and #7 along with crews from the Department of Natural Resources have gained the upper hand on the brush fire.

The fire has burned about 100 acres. Crews are working on hot spots and will be out for the duration of the evening. According to WSP, as long as the fire crews are on scene, there will be only  one lane of traffic open in both directions. WSP urges drivers to slow down when passing through that area.

Two people are in critical condition from the multi-vehicle accident caused by smoke from the fire. One had to be airlifted out. Both were described as elderly females. WSP is investigating the accident.

The fire was first reported at around 10:45 a.m. this morning.

Update: Thursday Aug 24, 12:46 p.m.

Westbound lane is now open. Eastbound remains closed. One person was airlifted from a serious injury accident on the eastbound lane.

Original Post: Thursday Aug 24, 11:35 a.m.

A part of I-90 is closed because of a wildfire near the Ryegrass Area. The westbound lane is closed at Vantage. The eastbound lane is closed at MP 115 near Kittitas.

The wildfire is burning about 150 acres. DNR and Kittitas fire districts have responded. The wind is causing the fire to spread quickly.

The smoke from the fire was causing some serious visibility issues, prompting the closure. However, while WSP was in the process of closing the road, the poor visibility caused a multi-vehicle accident involving a semi. Two elderly people were trapped inside a vehicle. They are in serious condition.

At this point, there is no estimated time for reopening.