I-82 closed near Umatilla. Blowing dust, smoke also shut down I-90 and Hwy 395

A combination of smoke and blowing dust was blamed for closing major highways throughout the Mid-Columbia, Yakima Valley and the Columbia Basin on Monday.

About 5 p.m. the Washington state Department of Transportation closed Interstate 82 from near Prosser to about six miles east because of a wildfire reported in the area.

No detour was available for the approximately 90 minutes the interstate was closed.

The westbound lanes of Interstate 82 were closed again about 7:30 p.m. eight miles east of Prosser because of a wildfire. No detour was available.

A rural neighborhood a couple miles east of Prosser south of the Old Inland Empire Highway and north of the Yakima River and Highway 82 was evacuated late Monday afternoon because of wildfire.

About 6:15 p.m. the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office said Interstate-82 had been closed in both directions just south of the Columbia River for 10 miles because of wildfire. People in the area should prepare to evacuate, it said.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said several houses in the Basin City area about 20 miles north of the Tri-Cities were burning about 5 p.m.

Drivers were asked to avoid the area as multiple firetrucks were arriving. Residents of the area were being given instructions in case of an evacuation.

The Washington state Department of Transportation also closed Highway 221 from Prosser to Paterson because of visibility problems from the dust and smoke, with no details available.

Earlier in the day, a several-car pileup blocked Highway 395 south of Ritzville. The highway was closed in both directions before noon Monday and DOT said southbound lanes remained closed at 5 p.m.

The Washington State Patrol also closed Interstate 90 between Ritzville and the Grant County line around 1 p.m. An alert remained posted at 5 p.m. saying the interstate remained shutdown.

The Highway 395 crashes were initially near milepost 72 about 11 a.m. in the southbound lanes headed toward the Tri-Cities, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Air quality

The Tr-Cities woke up on Labor Day to brown skies and the worst air quality of the summer.

The Washington state Department of Ecology rated air quality at the Benton Clean Air Agency in Kennewick as unhealthy at 5 a.m. and as very unhealthy by 7 a.m.

It had deteriorated to “hazardous” by 9 a.m., topping out the air quality scale used by the state.

Until winds started to blow out some of the smoke, the air quality in the Tri-Cities was some of the worst in the nation for about an hour Monday morning, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality map.

Smoke from the Cold Springs Canyon Fire/Pearl Hill Fire to the north near Omak, Wash., was blowing into the Tri-Cities, according to the National Weather Service.

People should stay indoors, avoid strenuous activity, close windows and doors, and set air conditioners to recirculate, warned the Department of Ecology when the smoky air was at its worst.

Anyone with serious symptoms because of the poor air quality, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, should seek medical help.

Usually when the air is rated as hazardous, N95 respiratory masks are recommended for those most vulnerable when they go outside. But because of COVID-19 they are in short supply and reserved for healthcare workers.

By noon Monday a breeze was blowing some of the smoke out of the Tri-Cities area, but the air remained rated as unhealthy throughout the afternoon.

Everyone should limit time outdoors and avoid strenuous activity indoors when air quality is rated as unhealthy, according to the Department of Ecology.

Winds could die down on Tuesday in the Mid-Columbia, but pooled smoke may continue to linger in the air, according to the Department of Ecology.

Wind, blowing dust

A cold front was moving into the Mid-Columbia Monday afternoon, bringing strong winds from the north and northeast.

Winds were forecast to build to sustained speeds of 27 to 32 mph, with gusts up to 48 mph in the Tri-Cities, according to the weather service forecast.

A red flag fire warning was issued for most of the Mid-Columbia until 11 p.m. Monday because of the winds and low humidity.

Any wildfire could spread quickly, said the weather service.

The winds were helping to move some of the smoke away from the Tri-Cities on Monday afternoon, but they were also stirring up dust that continued to foul the air.

A blowing dust advisory was issued for the Tri-Cities until 8 p.m., with visibility expected to drop to a mile in places.

This story was originally published September 7, 2020 at 9:30 AM.