On Sunday, August 2, three large-scale wildfires continue to burn in Spokane County, Washington State, in the United States. The fires have already destroyed at least 600 buildings and forced thousands of households to evacuate.
According to a report by CNN on Sunday, local authorities disclosed that as of Sunday afternoon, there were a total of 15 large wildfires across the state, with a total area burned exceeding 250,000 acres (about 1,012 square kilometers). Due to the massive scale of the fires, a comprehensive assessment of the losses will take time, and there have been no reports of casualties yet.
Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency throughout the state and has deployed the National Guard to Spokane County.
According to information released by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the largest threat to the Spokane area is the “Old Trails Fire,” which ignited on Saturday morning in the northwest part of Spokane. Due to extremely high temperatures, strong winds, and abnormally dry weather conditions, the fire quickly spread in the area.
Tom Williams, the Fire Chief of the Spokane City Fire Department, stated that the wildfires have not been contained yet. Fanned by strong winds, flames have crossed the Spokane River and continue to spread towards residential areas. Department spokesperson Courtney James urged residents to comply with evacuation orders and stay vigilant for any changes.
Chief Williams further mentioned that the “Autumn Lane Fire” is also very active, and firefighting personnel are arriving in all affected areas continuously. He pointed out that shifts in wind direction have led to rapidly changing conditions, and the wildfires are expected to continue for a while. The cause of the fires is still under investigation.
Heather Rosentrater, the CEO of Avista, responsible for providing electricity and natural gas to the affected areas in Spokane, stated during a press conference on Sunday, August 2, that the region experienced power outages due to the wildfires. At peak times, over 30,000 customers were without power, with over 10,000 households still waiting for power restoration. Additionally, around 5,300 natural gas customers are still awaiting gas supply restoration.
She also warned that some transmission facilities were damaged in the fires, which could lead to a new round of power outages.
Dave Upthegrove, the Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, revealed that rescue teams from more than ten states, including Florida, Alaska, as well as Australia, have arrived one after another to provide support.
He pointed out that due to the frequent wildfires across the western United States this summer, available resources have been significantly spread thin.
Evacuated residents of the fire-affected areas mentioned that they could only take essential items with them during the emergency evacuation. Some have already returned to their homes, now reduced to rubble and still smoking, in search of personal belongings. Other residents are anxiously waiting for permission to return to the community.
Experts indicate that the Pacific Northwest region is currently experiencing the most severe wildfire season in over thirty years, with the high temperatures exacerbating the outbreak and spread of devastating wildfires.