Wildfires raging in and around Spokane have destroyed at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures while forcing the evacuation of 60,000 people, as firefighters brace for continued dry conditions across eastern Washington state.
The fires had burned about 12 square miles (about 31 square kilometers) by early Monday, filling the sky over the state’s second-largest city with smoke and haze. As of Monday morning, the blazes remained 0% contained.
Cooler temperatures and light winds were forecast for Monday to aid firefighting efforts, following strong wind gusts that fueled the fires’ rapid spread over the weekend. No rain was expected, leaving crews with little relief from the arid conditions.
Fire and law enforcement officials reported no injuries or people unaccounted for, though they cautioned that the response effort remained in its early stages. Among those evacuated were patients at Spokane’s U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.
Video from the area showed buildings engulfed in flames, black smoke billowing near residential neighborhoods, and the smoldering ruins of homes where only chimneys remained standing.
The Spokane fires are among dozens burning across the Western United States, stretching the capacity of federal, state and local agencies to respond. At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across Washington, with several fires, including those near Spokane, still uncontained.
“We are not out of danger,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said during a news conference Sunday alongside federal and local officials, warning that the region was unlikely to see meaningful weather relief in the coming days.
The scale of destruction echoes other recent disasters in the American West, where prolonged drought and shifting winds have repeatedly overwhelmed emergency crews. The 2023 blazes that swept through Maui underscored how quickly fast-moving fires can devastate populated communities.
Officials have urged evacuated residents to remain out of affected areas until conditions stabilize. With dry weather expected to persist and containment lines yet to be established, authorities warn the threat to homes and lives could continue for days.