Wildfire smoke to blame for I-90 pileup near Vantage

VANTAGE - Blowing dust, smoke and ash from nearby wildfires caused a 25-vehicle pileup Thursday morning on Interstate 90 about 10 miles west of Vantage, leaving 13 people injured.

I-90 East from the Vantage bridge to Kittitas remained closed overnight and is expected to remain shutdown into Friday due to high winds and poor visibility. Wind gusts continued to kick up dust from a brush fire that burned out Tuesday, according to the state Department of Transportation. The road will open when conditions are safe for motorists. Traffic will be diverted through Kittitas to the Old Vantage Highway.

The pileup happened just before 11 a.m. near Vantage and involved 16 cars and nine commercial vehicles, according to Trooper Darren Wright. Several of the 13 injured reportedly suffered serious injuries but no deaths were reported. As of Thursday night, the State Patrol had yet to release information on those injured. Nine of the injured were transported by ambulance to Quincy Valley Medical Center. One was transported to Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg. No drugs or alcohol are believed to be involved.

I-90 West was also closed for about two hours Thursday due to poor visibility and reopened about 1 p.m.

Strong winds leading to poor visibility are being blamed for the crash but it was not yet known how the pileup started. Aerial photos provided by the State Patrol show smoke drifting across the section of I-90 following the collision. The state Department of Ecology Spill Response Team also responded to the incident but it is unclear if cleanup was required.

The State Patrol Criminal Investigation Division is conducting the investigation. More information will be released following the investigation.