A total of ۱,۰۰۰sq km (۳۸۶sq miles) has burned across Washington state, and some of the fires have not been contained.
Published On ۳ Aug ۲۰۲۶۳ Aug ۲۰۲۶
Wildfires in eastern Washington state have forced the evacuation of ۶۰,۰۰۰ people in the Spokane area and destroyed at least ۶۰۰ homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said on Sunday.
The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second-largest city, burned about ۲۱ square kilometres (۸sq miles) over the weekend and were among dozens of wildfires across the Western United States that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them.
Roughly ۱,۰۰۰sq km (۳۸۶sq miles) have burned across the state, and some of the fires, including those in the Spokane area, have not been contained.
Fire and law enforcement officials said there had been no reports of injuries or people unaccounted for, but they stressed it was early in the response effort.
Videos from the Spokane area showed buildings on fire, black smoke billowing up near neighbourhoods, and the smoking ruins of homes, with only chimneys still standing. Several officials expressed concern that the area appears set to continue having dry weather in the coming days.
“We are not out of danger,” Senator Maria Cantwell said during a news conference with federal, state and local officials in Spokane. “The next couple of days will be challenging.”
Investigators have not determined how the blazes began.
Spokane was not the only region struggling to contain fires.
Crews using bulldozers and helicopters continued for a tenth day to fight a fire that has burned nearly ۱,۳۶۰sq km (۵۲۵sq miles) of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon. The area is home to cattle ranches, with authorities saying the fire is threatening more than ۶۰۰ homes and ۸۰۰ other structures.
In central Utah, a massive blaze more than doubled in size over the weekend, jumping from about ۴۱sq km (۱۶sq miles) to ۱۴۵sq km (۵۶sq miles) by Sunday morning. More than ۱۰۰ cattle have been killed, according to local law enforcement.
