Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations in Eastern Washington
Spokane area sees 60,000 displaced and hundreds of structures destroyed as state of emergency declared.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
Wildfires have forced 60,000 people to evacuate the Spokane area in eastern Washington, destroying at least 600 structures.
The Old Trails Fire, a fast-moving wildfire, ignited around noon on Saturday in northwest Spokane. It rapidly expanded north and east, threatening residential neighborhoods.
By Saturday evening, the inferno had consumed nearly four square miles of terrain.
Power company Avista implemented public safety shutoffs in the affected areas, leaving about 10,000 people without power on Sunday. This marked a decrease from the peak of 30,000.
Despite the extensive destruction, no injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The Washington National Guard has deployed, assisting with evacuation and traffic control.
Washington experiences its fourth consecutive year of drought, a condition that exacerbates the wildfire risk.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag alert for eastern Washington, indicating critical fire weather conditions.
Wildfires have also affected southern British Columbia, where nearly 34,000 lightning strikes were recorded last month.
Officials indicated that Officials fear the number of evacuated people is likely to rise in the coming hours as the wildfires continue to burn.
While some structures were lost, Jessica Watson stated that officials did not yet have a solid count.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, despite some officials claiming it was caused by lightning.