Spokane Wildfire Forces Mass Evacuations, Governor Declares Emergency

What’s Happening

A wildfire broke out Saturday in Spokane, Washington, spreading rapidly through residential areas and forcing thousands of families to leave their homes. The blaze crossed the Spokane River and reached neighborhoods in the city’s northwest and northeast sections within hours of igniting. Dozens of homes were destroyed in the Indian Trail area. Fires also struck in other parts of Spokane County, with three separate blazes burning simultaneously by evening.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency Saturday afternoon and put a burn ban in place through September 30.

Evacuations

Authorities issued Level 3 evacuation orders for multiple areas — the most urgent category, meaning residents had no time to wait. A Veterans hospital, a water facility, and a waste-to-energy plant all fell within the evacuation zone. Displaced families were directed to an emergency shelter set up at a local community college.
Power went out for roughly 13,400 homes and businesses by late Saturday night. Energy provider Avista shut off power in several zones intentionally to reduce fire risk as the blaze moved through the area.

National Guard and Firefighting Response

Governor Ferguson deployed 110 National Guard members to assist with firefighting and evacuation support, joining 27 helicopter crew members already working fires across the state. Firefighters from 14 other states and a crew from Australia are also helping. More than 4,000 personnel in total are currently assigned to fires across Washington.
Washington National Guard General Gent Welsh said Saturday night that he had never seen fire conditions this bad in nearly four decades of service. “When the sun rises, we are going to be in shock,” he said.

How It Spread

Winds gusting between 40 and 50 miles per hour on Saturday pushed the fire quickly through dry terrain. Conditions are expected to improve Sunday with winds dropping to around 10 mph, but smoke remains heavy and air quality in the Spokane area is severely affected.

Statewide Situation

At least 10 major fires are burning across Washington, having scorched more than 425,000 acres this year. That is the highest total since 2021. The state is in its fourth consecutive year of drought, and a heat dome has kept temperatures unusually high across the Pacific Northwest throughout summer. Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said it is already one of the busiest wildfire years the state has recorded.
Governor Ferguson plans to visit Spokane Sunday to meet with emergency responders on the ground.
Source: Spokesman-Review, KPTV, CNN, KOMO News, Eastern Herald