SPOKANE, Washington—Fast-moving wildfires burning across the Spokane area have destroyed about 600 structures, forced roughly 60,000 people to evacuate and prompted Washington state officials to declare an emergency as firefighters continued battling multiple uncontained blazes on Monday.
The fires, collectively known as the Spokane Area Fire, have burned more than 5,000 acres (about 2,180 hectares) since erupting over the weekend, according to local fire officials. Authorities said the destroyed buildings include homes and businesses, while damage assessments remain ongoing and the total is expected to change as crews gain access to affected neighborhoods.
Spokane Fire Chief Tom Williams said the fires remained uncontained and continued to threaten evacuated communities. Officials reported no confirmed fatalities or injuries as of Monday but cautioned that conditions remained hazardous and that information could change as emergency crews completed searches and damage assessments.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown described the fires as the worst natural disaster the region has faced, while urging residents to comply with evacuation orders and avoid entering closed areas. Emergency shelters have opened for displaced residents, including facilities at the Spokane Convention Center, where hundreds of evacuees have sought temporary accommodation.
More than 900 firefighters from local, state and federal agencies were assigned to the incident as crews worked to protect threatened communities amid dry vegetation and strong winds that fueled rapid fire growth. Authorities said weather conditions were expected to remain challenging, with forecasts indicating continued elevated wildfire danger.
About 10,000 electricity customers remained without power after fire damage and precautionary shutoffs by Avista Utilities, whose chief executive, Heather Rosentrader, said service would be restored when conditions allowed crews to work safely.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency as large wildfires burned across several parts of the state, where more than 250,000 acres have been affected. Ferguson said he had spoken with President Donald Trump regarding federal assistance and had requested support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the Spokane-area fires. Fire officials said damage inspections and containment efforts would continue while evacuation orders remained in effect for affected communities.
