Northbound drivers on Interstate 5 hit a sudden slowdown Saturday afternoon after a fire broke out near milepost 9.1, just north of NE 179th Street, around 2:15 p.m. on June 13, 2026. Travel alerts went up quickly as crews and emergency units moved in, and WSDOT Southwest urged motorists to ease off the gas and approach the area with caution. Anyone heading across the Columbia River and up toward Ridgefield was advised to expect delays until the scene is cleared.
According to WSDOT Southwest, the fire was first reported at about 2:15 p.m., with a brief alert telling drivers to "use caution" when rolling through the area. The Southwest account routinely fires off these quick-hit updates for Clark County and nearby stretches of the I-5 corridor, often serving as the first public word that something is wrong on the freeway.
Where the fire is
The alert pins the blaze on I-5 northbound at milepost 9.1 near the NE 179th Street interchange, a busy segment north of Vancouver and just south of Ridgefield. That location lines up with traffic-camera listings for "I-5 at MP 9.1: S of 179th St," which show live feeds of the corridor, as documented in the WSDOT highway log that lays out milepost and interchange details for the 179th area.
Traffic impacts and what drivers can do
Drivers should be ready for sluggish northbound traffic and possible lane restrictions while crews handle the incident. If you typically rely on that stretch of I-5, plan for extra travel time. WSDOT's travel page recommends keeping an eye on live cameras and current alerts, and suggests considering I-205 or nearby surface streets as alternates when conditions allow.
WSDOT's initial post offered only limited details, which is standard for early incident alerts. The agency usually follows up on its X feed as lanes reopen and backups clear. For the latest word on lane status and traffic flow, keep checking WSDOT Southwest.
