Fast-moving Spokane wildfires force thousands to evacuate

Fast-moving wildfires driven by high winds, low humidity and intense heat forced thousands of people to evacuate in and around Spokane, Washington, as flames pushed toward neighborhoods and state officials declared a wildfire emergency.

The biggest threat was the Old Trails Fire, which started around noon Saturday in brush and grass in an open area and quickly spread north and east toward residential areas. By early Sunday morning, it had burned more than 3,500 acres, according to NPR, citing the Watch Duty app. State officials said Saturday evening that nearly 4 square miles, or 10 square kilometers, had burned.

Swaths of Spokane were placed under Level 3 evacuation orders, which tell residents: “Leave NOW! This may be your only notice.” Cars lined roads Saturday as people fled their homes, while orange and red flames were visible from the highway and a plume of smoke rose over the region.

“We urge residents of Spokane to heed evacuation orders and to stay alert to changing conditions and evacuations as they are rapidly changing,” said Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Officials said Saturday night that multiple structures and homes had been lost, though they would not know the full extent of the damage until the fire was under control. The cause of the Old Trails Fire remained under investigation. Firefighters had zero containment as of Saturday evening, and winds continued to blow, said Jessica Watson, a Department of Natural Resources spokesperson for the fire.

NPR reported that three larger, fast-moving fires were burning in and around Spokane: the Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane fires. The Old Trails Fire burned at Riverside State Park, northwest of Spokane. Overnight, Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Jessica Walston told CNN the fire was threatening up to 5,000 structures.

Alexandra Duggan, a public safety reporter for The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, described the speed and intensity of the flames. “I was sitting near an elementary school and saw a wall of flames east of the school and just a cascade of black smoke and a wall of flames coming toward me,” she said.

Late Saturday, the Washington National Guard was mobilized to help local first responders. “The Washington National Guard is making 30 members available tonight to Spokane authorities for any emerging needs,” it said in a Facebook post.

Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency Saturday after unusually high temperatures and high winds worsened fire conditions across Washington. He said he would travel to Spokane on Sunday morning.

“Things are extremely dynamic, especially in Spokane,” Ferguson said during a Saturday news conference. He also urged residents: “If you are in the area, please continue to be vigilant and follow directions of emergency personnel.”

The National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag alert for eastern Washington. Ferguson also issued a statewide burn ban Saturday, citing a record-setting drought and high winds. The ban prohibits most outdoor fires, including trash disposal, yard debris, land clearing, bonfires and campfires not contained in structures such as fire rings.

Power company Avista said it implemented public safety shutoffs in the area because of elevated fire risk. As of 6 a.m. Sunday, nearly 11,000 Avista customers were without power, according to NPR, citing the utility’s live map, with more than 8,000 of them in Spokane County.

The city opened its convention center as a shelter for people displaced by the fires. Spokane has more than 230,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Across Washington, maps showed dozens of fires burning Sunday morning. On Saturday, Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said firefighters were battling 10 large fires statewide. More than 1,000 fires have burned about 425,000 acres in Washington this year, the Department of Natural Resources said, the most since 2021.

“This year has already been one of our busiest wildfire years on record, and we just started August,” Upthegrove said. “Any new spark on our tinder dry landscapes can lead to another devastating wildfire. I’m urging all Washingtonians to not be that spark.”