Spokane, Washington — Wildfires

Spokane, Washington — Wildfires 

A cluster of fast-moving wildfires tore through Spokane County, Washington, over the weekend, forcing thousands to flee and destroying hundreds of structures in what officials are calling one of the region's worst fire events in memory.

The largest of the blazes, the Old Trails Fire, ignited Saturday and had burned nearly 3,000 acres by evening, threatening roughly 4,000 buildings in the area, according to Washington's state forester. Two additional fires — the Fairview Fire and the Autumn Lane Fire — broke out nearby, also triggering Level 3 "go now" evacuation orders amid a rare Fire Warning issued by the National Weather Service for actively burning fires in inhabited areas. CNNCNN

Statewide, more than 200,000 acres were burning across a dozen large fires, prompting Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson to declare a state of emergency and statewide burn ban. A National Guard officer overseeing the response warned that the full scope of the damage likely wouldn't be clear until daylight, predicting residents would be "in shock" at the scenes that emerged. CNNCNN

Firefighting resources were stretched thin by extreme conditions. Spokane's assistant fire chief said no fire department in the country could fully handle a wind-driven fire of this scale, and the department scaled up staffing from its usual 69 firefighters to about 100 in preparation for high winds. Water systems buckled under demand: officials reported pressure problems at water towers as residents used sprinklers to try to protect their homes, straining the same supply firefighters depended on. Spokesman-ReviewSpokesman-Review

An evacuation shelter opened at the Spokane Convention Center after an earlier shelter lost power, and more than 400 people spent the night there, according to the Red Cross Northwest Region. The Spokane County sheriff warned evacuees to prepare to be kept from their homes for at least 24 to 36 hours and voiced frustration that "way too many people" were refusing to evacuate despite the danger. KHQSpokesman-Review

By Sunday, FEMA had approved fire management assistance grants to help cover firefighting costs, and several area medical clinics announced closures for Monday due to the evacuation zones. The fires remain active, with containment efforts ongoing. KHQ