The short version
- Fires around Spokane have destroyed approximately 600 structures and triggered evacuations for up to 60,000 residents, including patients from a veterans hospital.
- A separate lightning-caused blaze in western Idaho and eastern Oregon has burned nearly 525 square miles over ten days, threatening hundreds of additional properties.
- Forecasters warn that persistent dry weather, high temperatures, and turbulent wind patterns in steep terrain will hinder containment efforts for the foreseeable future.
Wildfires ravaging eastern Washington have destroyed at least 600 homes, businesses, and other structures, prompting authorities to order evacuations for a significant portion of the Spokane area. While one report indicates approximately 5,000 homes were evacuated, another cites a broader figure of 60,000 people displaced, which includes patients transferred from a local Veterans Affairs hospital. The blazes, identified as the Old Trails, Fairview, and Meadowview fires, have consumed roughly 8.2 square miles near the state’s second-largest city. Despite these losses, no fatalities have been confirmed in the immediate vicinity of the Spokane incidents.
The destruction has stretched emergency response capabilities across the region. Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Saturday as officials struggled to contain the flames. A shelter was established at the city’s main convention center to accommodate those fleeing their homes. Local utility provider Avista Corp reported that while power outages affecting 30,000 customers had decreased to about 10,000 by Sunday, repairs to transmission lines remain necessary. Officials cautioned that increased electricity demand in the coming days could lead to further service interruptions.
Challenging environmental conditions are expected to persist, complicating firefighting efforts. Benjamin Cossel, a public information officer for the federal response team, noted that both weather and terrain are working against crews. The Spokane River cuts through the city, creating steep canyons on either side that channel wind and drive fires up slopes in turbulent patterns. Although temperatures were forecast to stay below 80 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, wind gusts between 35 and 45 miles per hour were anticipated. As daytime heat rises, cooler air near the ground is expected to lift, allowing stronger winds to move through the area.
The crisis in Washington is part of a broader wildfire emergency across the Pacific Northwest. In western Idaho and eastern Oregon, crews have battled the Big Grass Fire for ten days. Ignited by lightning, this blaze has scorched nearly 525 square miles of grassland and cattle ranching territory, threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures. The National Weather Service issued air quality warnings for eastern Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, alongside red flag alerts for parts of Utah and Nebraska. With sunny, dry conditions and temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit expected later in the week, officials warned that the region faces continued high risk.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian US↗Eastern Washington fires destroy 600 structures and force 60,000 to evacuate
- PBS NewsHour↗Eastern Washington fires have burned 600 structures and forced the evacuation of 5,000 homes
