UPDATE: I-90 reopens after fire. If you can, avoid it anyway

Interstate 90 has reopened after being closed for nearly half a day because of wildfire.

The Ryegrass Fire closed Interstate 90 near Vantage and forced about 70 residents of the small rural town to evacuate.

The Red Cross opened a shelter for evacuees at the George Community Hall, across the Columbia River in the town of George, about 15 miles away.

The blaze started early Tuesday and burned more than 1,000 acres. It is also threatened the camping area near the Wanapum Dam.

The wind pushed smoke and dust across the interstate and in some places guardrails caught fire, Washington State Patrol Trooper Brian Moore said.

State resources are responding to the fire, but don't expect traffic to roll quickly with the reopening.

"We do have some significant backups in the area at our closure points," Moore said. "We have six strike teams in route."

The Washington State Patrol is asking people to avoid the area.

The 22-mile stretch of Interstate 90 was closed from just east of Ellensburg to the Vantage bridge.

This story was originally published July 10, 2018 at 9:01 AM.