Crews make progress fighting Ryegrass Coulee Fire

VANTAGE — Fire crews battling the large Ryegrass Coulee Fire near Vantage were able to gain the upper hand on the large blaze on Wednesday.

Thanks to state firefighting resources arriving throughout the day on Tuesday, crews at the scene “had great success in dealing with the hot spots around the Vantage area,” according to the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team. Last reports from the scene put the size of the fire at a little over 1,600 acres.

The fire broke out late Monday night and prompted a Level 3 evacuation notice to be sent out for over 100 homes in the town of Vantage. Evacuees were able to temporarily relocate to an American Red Cross emergency shelter that was set up in George at the George Community Hall. The Level 3 notice was lowered to a Level 2 on Tuesday and officials started letting residents return home. The Level 2 notice was later dropped to a Level 1.

The blaze forced officials to shut down Interstate 90 east about 6 miles east of Ellensburg and west at the state Route 26 turnoff on the east side of the Vantage Bridge. I-90 was reopened in both directions about noon on Tuesday. The Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park and Wanapum Recreation Area were both closed and reopened to the public on Wednesday.

Per the request of Kittitas County Fire District No. 4 Chief William Rose, state firefighting assistance was approved by Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste. The Fire Protection Bureau ordered a total of six wildland strike teams and the state Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray was activated to a Level 2 to coordinate state resources.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 10 Administrator Mike O’Hare approved a request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) to help offset the costs associated battling the blaze. The grant is apart of the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and can be used to account for expenses ranging from field camps, to equipment use, repair and replacement, mobilization and demobilization activities, tools, materials and supplies.

“In addition to reimbursement funding for fighting the Ryegrass Coulee Fire, under the FMAG declaration the state of Washington will be eligible for an additional $566,667 in assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP),” reads a press release from FEMA.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.