Spokane-area wildfire complex forces mass evacuations and destroys at least 600 structures

About 60,000 people were evacuated in the Spokane area by Aug. 2 after wind-driven wildfires destroyed at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said.

The evacuation and destruction figures were preliminary. Officials were still assessing damage, and the number of structures lost was expected to change as that work continued.

Three fires were grouped as the Spokane-area complex, creating an emergency affecting Spokane and surrounding Spokane County communities. The fires threatened residences, businesses and public services while forcing large-scale evacuations.

Fire moved across northwest Spokane

Strong winds and high temperatures drove the fires across northwest Spokane on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2. A fast-moving fire swept through northwest Spokane and jumped the Spokane River, prompting evacuation orders that affected thousands of people.

The Old Trails fire was among the fires involved in the Spokane-area emergency. Authorities had not established final totals for damaged structures, acreage, containment or injuries in the information available as of Aug. 2.

A Washington Department of Natural Resources spokesperson said officials initially did not have a solid count of destroyed structures. That uncertainty is significant because the reported total of at least 600 includes homes, businesses and other structures, rather than a final, itemized accounting of losses.

Shelter opened for displaced residents

The City of Spokane established a shelter at the Spokane Convention Center for people displaced by the fires. The shelter provided a designated place for residents leaving evacuation areas as the emergency spread across the region.

The available reports did not establish how many evacuees lived within Spokane city limits and how many came from other parts of Spokane County. Spokane County Commissioner Chris Jordan said relatives had been affected by the fires and that the status of their home was unknown.

For people under evacuation orders, the immediate public-safety issue was leaving affected areas and seeking available shelter. The next known step was continued assessment by authorities of destroyed structures and broader fire damage. The reported evacuation and structure-loss figures should not be treated as final totals.