Play store
Massive wildfires burning across Washington state have forced widespread evacuations, knocked out power to tens of thousands of residents and prompted Governor Bob Ferguson to declare a statewide emergency.
State officials said on Saturday that more than 4,000 firefighters are battling over a dozen active wildfires across Washington. The fires have scorched more than 250,000 acres, while approximately 450,000 acres have burned statewide since the start of the summer.
The most pressing threat is the Old Trails Fire near Spokane, which has spread across about 3,000 acres and is threatening nearly 4,000 structures, according to Washington State Forester George Geissler.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said around 200 homes had been evacuated by Saturday afternoon, with more evacuation orders expected as the fire continued to spread. Several major facilities, including a water reclamation plant, a waste-to-energy facility and a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, have also been evacuated.
Utility company Avista reported that around 60,000 customers in eastern Washington were left without electricity due to the fires.
Governor Ferguson warned that strong winds and high temperatures are expected to worsen fire conditions over the weekend, making containment efforts more difficult. Officials said no injuries or fatalities had been reported so far.
The Kaiser Canyon Fire in northeastern Washington remains the state’s largest blaze, burning across approximately 134,000 acres.
Wildfires have also intensified across the Pacific Northwest this summer. In neighboring British Columbia, nearly 34,000 lightning strikes last month sparked multiple fires and prompted evacuation orders in the southern part of the province.
