Thousands evacuate as wind-driven wildfires explode near Spokane amid rare fire weather emergency
Rapidly spreading wildfires are closing in on Spokane, Washington, as a dangerous situation continues to unfold across the Pacific Northwest. Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate as multiple wildfires race across the Spokane area, triggering Level 3 "Go Now" orders, the evacuation of a VA medical center and the opening of emergency shelters across the region.
SPOKANE, Washington - Rapidly spreading wildfires are closing in on Spokane, Washington, as a dangerous situation continues to unfold across the Pacific Northwest.
Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate as multiple wildfires race across the Spokane area, triggering Level 3 "Go Now" orders, the evacuation of a VA medical center and the opening of emergency shelters across the region.
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Officials transferred patients needing continued care to local hospitals, while over two dozen patients were relocated to shelters under VA staff supervision. The campus remains closed until further notice.
Multiple wind-driven wildfires are burning along Spokane's western and northwestern flank as extreme fire weather pushes flames toward neighborhoods on the edge of Washington's second-largest city.
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Gov. Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency and issued a burn ban through Sept. 30. Officials said Washington has already seen more than 1,000 fires burn about 425,000 acres this year, with more than 200,000 acres actively burning in 12 large fires.
Spokane County has also declared its own state of emergency to aid in timely response efforts.
The Washington National Guard has mobilized troops to assist with evacuations, traffic control and firefighting support.
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A fire in Spokane — called the Old Trails Fire — has exploded in size to about 3,500 acres, and it appears the blaze is making its way toward the outskirts of the city.
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As thousands undergo evacuations, people in the area are being advised to leave immediately. Multiple Level 3 evacuation orders have been issued for parts of north-west Spokane, Riverside State Park, the West Plains and surrounding communities.
The other two wildfires burning in the Spokane area are the Fairview Fire and the Autumn Lane Fire. They've burned about 700 and 3,300 acres, respectively.
Sporting events at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex were indefinitely suspended. Video shows flames encroaching on the sports complex, where an annual volleyball event was underway and ultimately evacuated.
Spokane's Gonzaga University has opened dorm rooms for displaced employees.
The Spokane Humane Society successfully evacuated all the animals in their care and they are safe.
The National Weather Service issued a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" (PDS) fire warning, signaling the highest level of wildfire danger due to extreme wind and dry conditions.
A historic wildfire season is already gripping the Pacific Northwest, where nearly two million acres have burned.
Conditions are deteriorating rapidly as powerful winds threaten explosive fire growth, prompting warnings of a "particularly dangerous" stretch of fire weather.
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Fire departments from across the region are assisting with wildfire response efforts, utilizing brush trucks and providing additional personnel, as firefighting resources are stretched thin with multiple large fires burning at the same time.
Officials said there are no reports of firefighter injuries and, as far as civilians, that’s still to be determined.
Smoke from the fires has become so dense that the City of Spokane is warning residents to avoid driving unless evacuating, saying visibility could rapidly deteriorate as winds shift.
Authorities are asking residents to follow all evacuation orders as soon as possible, avoid activities that could spark new fires and stay away from fire zones and evacuation routes.
They also said residents should rely on official emergency management sources for updates as conditions continue changing rapidly.
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