A wildfire rapidly spread across northwest Spokane on Saturday, fueled by high winds and temperatures. The blaze, named the Old Trails Fire, began at noon and quickly moved through brush and grass, reaching residential areas.
Thousands of people were evacuated as the fire jumped the Spokane River. Cars crowded the roads, and flames were visible from the highway. A large plume of smoke covered the region. By evening, the fire had burned nearly 4 square miles (10 square kilometers), according to Courtney James from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
We urge residents of Spokane to heed evacuation orders and to stay alert to changing conditions and evacuations as they are rapidly changing,
James stated. While some structures were lost, officials had not finalized a count, DNR spokesperson Jessica Watson explained. No containment was achieved by evening, and winds persisted.
Power company Avista initiated public safety power shutoffs due to the fire risk. In response to the extreme conditions and surging fires across the state, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency. The National Weather Service issued a red flag alert for eastern Washington, warning of particularly dangerous conditions.
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