More than a dozen large fires in Washington state have burned a total of approximately 250,000 acres (about 100,000 hectares), the New York Times (NYT) reports. The governor declared a state of emergency throughout the state, and the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” notice for the eastern part of the state. This is the first time such a warning has been issued in Washington state, officials said.
Nearly 1,000 firefighters are battling at least three major blazes in Spokane County, home to about 600,000 people. For a significant part of the territory, the third, highest level of evacuation has been introduced, ordering residents to immediately leave the danger zone. According to the NYT, about 4,000 buildings are at risk. No deaths have been reported from the fires in the Spokane area.
Footage posted on social media shows burned-out neighborhoods, destroyed houses and burned-out vehicles.
WATCH: Homes burning in Spokane, Washington as wildfire moves through the area pic.twitter.com/cuMWE7N57a
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The Old Trails and Autumn Lane fires crossed the Spokane River on Saturday and moved closer to the nearby canyon by Sunday. The fire moved northwest, moving away from the city of Spokane but continuing to spread toward the surrounding wilderness.
“If the fire reaches this canyon, the likelihood that the situation will quickly get out of control is quite high,” said Benjamin Kossell, a spokesman for the interagency emergency management team.
The Washington State National Guard was mobilized late Saturday to assist local emergency responders. Spokane officials also set up a temporary shelter for victims at the city's main convention center.
Statewide, the fires have destroyed about 600 homes, businesses and other structures. Thousands of residents also experienced power outages. Nearly 11,000 customers remained without power Sunday morning, more than 8,000 of them in Spokane County, NPR reported.
Washington state in the western US is experiencing a record wildfire season this year, fueled in large part by drought and high temperatures. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1,000 outbreaks have been reported in the state, burning about 425,000 acres (about 172,000 hectares) – the highest number since 2021. Firefighters are already stretched to the limit, and forecasters are predicting further heat waves before the end of the season.
