Fast-moving wildfires in Spokane, Washington destroy 600 buildings, force evacuation of thousands

Aug 2, 2026

Fast-moving wildfires in Spokane, Washington, have destroyed approximately 600 buildings and forced the emergency evacuation of up to 60,000 people. Driven by strong winds, extreme heat, and a fourth consecutive year of drought, the Old Trails Fire crossed the Spokane River, prompting Governor Bob Ferguson to declare a statewide emergency and mobilize the National Guard. The region faces critical fire weather and hazardous air quality as uncontained blazes stretch emergency resources across the Pacific Northwest.

Spokane wildfire destruction

▪Wildfires in the Spokane, Washington area have destroyed approximately 600 homes, businesses, and other structures.
▪The Old Trails Fire crossed the Spokane River on August 1, 2026, and advanced into residential neighborhoods northwest of Spokane.
▪Three active wildfires in and around Spokane, Washington—the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire, and the Meadowview Fire—have burned approximately 2,180 hectares of land.

Mass evacuations

▪Local authorities ordered the evacuation of approximately 5,000 homes in the Spokane, Washington area due to the wildfires.
▪Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown reported the evacuation of several facilities, including water reclamation facilities, a waste-to-energy plant, and the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.
▪Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall estimated that approximately 60,000 people were evacuated in emergency orders over the weekend of August 1-2, 2026.

Extreme weather conditions

▪The National Weather Service issued a "particularly dangerous situation" red flag alert for eastern Washington due to extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds.
▪The Washington Department of Ecology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency issued an Air Quality Alert for Spokane and eastern Washington.

Challenging terrain factors

▪The Spokane River is flanked by steep canyons that funnel winds, pushing fires up slopes and creating turbulent wind scenarios that challenge firefighting efforts.
▪California federal response team public information officer Benjamin Cossel stated that both weather and steep terrain are working against containment efforts in Spokane.

Emergency response mobilization

▪Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency and implemented a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026.
▪Avista Utilities implemented public safety power shutoffs and reported that thousands of customers in Spokane County experienced power outages.
▪The Washington National Guard mobilized units to assist local responders, with its aerial forces dropping approximately 3,497,000 liters of water over 137 hours.

Western US wildfire crisis

▪Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove stated that over a dozen significant fires are burning across Washington, affecting over 250,000 acres statewide.
▪A massive lightning-caused wildfire in western Idaho and eastern Oregon, known as the Big Grass Fire, has burned nearly 525 square miles of grassland over 10 days.