Wildfire in central Washington forces evacuations

VANTAGE, Wash. – The central Washington town of Vantage has been evacuated and Interstate 90 has been closed in both directions by a fast-moving wildfire.

KOMO-TV reports the blaze broke out around 11 p.m. Monday and forced about 120 people to leave their homes.

Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue Chief John Sinclair says a 22-mile stretch of I-90 has been closed in both directions from east of Ellensburg to just east of the Columbia River.

No detour is available. No time has been set to reopen the road.

No structures have been lost as crews work to contain the fire around Vantage, which is directly threatened by the flames.

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office has worked with the Red Cross to establish a shelter for the evacuees in the town of George.

So far, the blaze is zero percent contained.