Wildfires in eastern Washington state have led to the evacuation of 60,000 people around Spokane and have destroyed at least 600 homes, businesses, and other structures, according to authorities on Sunday.
These fires, which have engulfed areas in and around Spokane, the state’s second-largest city, have consumed about 8.2 square miles (approximately 21 square kilometers) over the weekend. They are part of numerous wildfires across the Western U.S. that are challenging the resources of federal, state, and local agencies.
In total, about 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) have burned across the state, and some fires, including those near Spokane, remain uncontained.
No one hurt or unaccounted for — so far
Fire and law enforcement officials reported no injuries or missing persons at this stage, but emphasized that it is still early in the response.
Officials noted that evacuees from Spokane include patients from the U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital located there.
Footage from the Spokane area shows buildings ablaze, thick black smoke near residential areas, and houses reduced to ruins with only chimneys left standing. Several officials expressed concern over the continued dry weather, which is unlikely to provide relief in the coming days.
“We are not out of danger,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell stated at a news conference with federal, state, and local officials in Spokane. “The next couple of days will be challenging.”
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fires.
Grassland in flames in parts of Idaho and Oregon
Spokane is not the only area grappling with wildfires.
For the tenth consecutive day, crews have been using bulldozers and helicopters to combat a fire that has ravaged nearly 525 square miles (about 1,360 square kilometers) of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon. This region, known for its cattle ranches, has more than 600 homes and 800 other structures at risk from the fire.
The area’s weather is forecasted to stay sunny and dry throughout the week, with temperatures rising to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) by Wednesday. Lightning has been identified as the cause of this fire.
The National Weather Service has issued air quality warnings for eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, western and central Idaho, and western Montana. Additionally, red flag fire warnings are in place for parts of Utah, Montana, and western Nebraska, while extreme heat warnings cover southern Arizona, California, Nevada, and northern Montana.
High winds make it hard to fight fires in Spokane area
On Sunday, Spokane temperatures were predicted to stay below 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), but wind gusts ranging from 35 mph (56 kph) to 45 mph (72 kph) were anticipated by the afternoon, according to Benjamin Cossel, public information officer for the federal response team from California called in on Saturday night to manage the fires.
“We have weather working against us, and we have terrain working against us,” Cossel remarked.
Three fires are currently active in the Spokane area: the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire, and the Meadowview Fire. In response, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag alert for eastern Washington.
Cossel explained that as the day warms, cooler air near the ground, which is currently holding back the winds, will rise, allowing the winds to pass through the area. The Spokane River flows through the city, which has steep canyons on both sides that direct the wind.
“They push the fire through the canyons, up, up the slopes, and then outside the slopes and around,” he observed. “It’s very, very hilly, very, very steep slopes, a lot of canyons that create really turbulent, really challenging sort of wind scenarios.”
Spokane sets up shelter for impacted residents
Authorities in Spokane have established a shelter at the city’s main convention center, where approximately 400 people were staying as of Sunday, officials reported.
Spokane County Commissioner Chris Jordan mentioned that some of his relatives were in the affected area and were uncertain if their home had survived. He communicated with them as they were evacuating.
“They’re in their car and all they can see is smoke everywhere, and it was incredibly scary for so many people,” he commented during the news conference.
Heather Rosenstrater, president and CEO of Avista Corp., the local electric and natural gas utility, informed that about 10,000 people were without power on Sunday, down from a peak of 30,000. Avista is working to repair two transmission lines, and Rosenstrater cautioned that high demand for electricity in the coming days might lead to further outages.
Meanwhile, several larger fires continue to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane, including one about 80 miles (129 kilometers) from the city that has scorched about 210 square miles (544 square kilometers). Another fire in eastern Oregon, approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest in the Stinkingwater Mountains, covers about 336 square miles (870 square kilometers).
“The whole northwest is heavily impacted right now,” stated Keila Vizcarra, the spokesperson for the federal team from California managing the Big Grass Fire in western Idaho and eastern Oregon.
