Washington Wildfires: Thousands In Spokane Area Told To Evacuate
Thousands of people in eastern Washington are under evacuation orders after a series of wildfires broke out on Saturday, spreading rapidly in Spokane County as forecasters predict “very dry conditions” and breezy winds that could potentially exacerbate ongoing blazes.
At least three major fires are burning near Spokane with 0% containment, according to government data: the Fairview Fire northeast of the city, the Autumn Lane Fire and the Old Trails Fire, both located roughly northwest of the city.
The three fires have burned an estimated 5,390 acres in the area so far, Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, told Forbes.
James said it was too early to determine how many structures were damaged by the fires, and crews were still working to “get a handle on the fires which were exacerbated by extreme weather conditions yesterday.”
Other officials have estimated more than 600 structures have been destroyed, multiple outlets reported, although it is unclear how many were homes.
Thousands of people in Spokane County were placed under “Level 3” evacuation orders to “leave now,” which were still in place on Sunday, according to the county’s evacuation map.
An estimated 900 personnel are on the scene fighting the three blazes, James told Forbes, and more were still on their way to assist.
425,000 acres. That’s how much land wildfires have burned in Washington so far this year in a particularly brutal fire season, according to Washington’s Department of National Resources. The state has seen over 1,000 wildfires so far this year, according to an update from officials on Friday, burning the most acres since 2021. Before Saturday’s blazes, firefighters were still working elsewhere in the state to contain 10 large fires burning across about 225,000 acres, according to an earlier statement.
The National Weather Service previously issued a “particularly dangerous situation” alert for eastern Washington on Friday, warning that wind gusts reaching up to 50 miles an hour could cause new fires to grow rapidly. The NWS is now predicting “elevated fire weather” for Sunday, including 20-35 mph wind gusts and “very dry” conditions with 20-30% humidity.