Smoke creates a haze over western Grant County in early August. The smoke came from what has become known as the Vantage Highway Fire which has burned more than 30,000 acres in Kittitas County. Fortunately for Grant County residents, the Columbia River stood as a buffer between them and the fire.
August 11, 2022
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Vantage fire close to contained, but fire danger remains high
COLUMBIA BASIN — While fire crews in Kittitas and Yakima counties are close to fully containing both the Vantage Highway and Cow Canyon fires, blazes elsewhere in the region are prompting state and local officials to mobilize firefighters as this year’s wildfire season continues. According to Ryan Rodruck, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Vantage Highway fire, which broke out on Aug. 1 near Vantage, is 90% contained and has burned more than 30,000 acres. The Cow Canyon fire, which has burned nearly 6,000 acres on the boundary between Kittitas and Yakima counties, is about 80% contained, Rodruck added. “They made significant progress toward containment, and both are in mop-up phase. They still have a few more areas,” Rodruck said. Late Wednesday, however, the Washington State Patrol issued notices that firefighters and state resources were being mobilized to fight two new fires — the Canyon Road fire in Yakima County near Grandview and the Mohr Fire in Douglas County...