Spokane wildfires destroy 600 structures, force evacuation of 5 000 homes; wildfire emergency declared for Washington
Three wildfires burning in the Spokane area of eastern Washington remained 0% contained on August 2,2026, after burning a combined 2 178 ha (5 381 acres). Around 5 000 homes had been evacuated, and approximately 600 homes, businesses, and other buildings had been destroyed. A statewide wildfire emergency has been issued for Washington.
Wildfires burn down a house near Spokane, Washington on August 2, 2026. Credit: South Pend Oreille Fire Rescue
The Old Trails Fire ignited around noon on August 1 in brush and grass west of Spokane before spreading north and east toward residential areas. The fire crossed the Spokane River and entered northwest Spokane. The Washington Department of Natural Resources said the cause remained under investigation.
According to the NIFC situation report, the Old Trails Fire had burned 1 416 ha (3 500 acres), the Autumn Lane Fire 364 ha (900 acres), and the Fairview Fire 397 ha (981 acres). All three incidents remained 0% contained.
The federal situation report classified fire behavior as extreme across all three incidents. The Old Trails Fire exhibited wind-driven runs, crowning and short-range spotting.
The Autumn Lane Fire was characterized by wind-driven runs, spotting and torching, while the Fairview Fire produced wind-driven runs, crowning and short-range spotting, threatening structures and energy infrastructure. Evacuations and road or area closures remained in effect for all three fires.
Around 400 structures were destroyed at the Old Trails Fire and 60 at the Autumn Lane Fire. Reports indicate that around 600 structures were destroyed across the Spokane area.
Approximately 5 000 homes had been evacuated, with an evacuation shelter being set up at the Spokane Convention Center. The reported figure refers to evacuated homes rather than a confirmed number of individual evacuees.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency on August 1 and prohibited most outdoor and agricultural burning through September 30.
The emergency proclamation goes into effect ahead of an unprecedented “particularly dangerous situation” Red Flag Alert by the National Weather Service, rating the weather risk today as “extreme” across Eastern Washington.
“Our record-setting drought and high winds are creating dangerous conditions across the state,” Governor Ferguson said. “I am declaring an emergency to help prevent loss of life and property damage. I encourage all Washingtonians to do their part to protect our state during these extreme conditions.”
“This year has already been one of our busiest wildfire years on record, and we just started August,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove.
“Our firefighters are already stretched thin across the state, and with more heat and wind expected this weekend and for the rest of the summer, any new spark on our tinder-dry landscapes can lead to another devastating wildfire. I’m urging all Washingtonians to not be that spark.”
Spokane County separately declared a local emergency, providing emergency management and law enforcement officials with additional authority to obtain equipment and supplies outside standard procurement procedures.
The National Weather Service office in Spokane said fire weather conditions on Sunday were expected to remain elevated but less severe than Saturday’s extreme conditions. West winds were forecast to produce gusts of 25 to 32 km/h (15 to 20 mph), with gusts reaching 48 km/h (30 mph) through Cascade gaps.
References:
1 Incident Management Situation Report – NIFC – August 2, 2026
2Governor Ferguson declares statewide wildfire emergency, issues statewide burn ban – Washington Governor’s office – August 1, 2026
3 Eastern Washington fires have burned 600 structures and forced the evacuation of 5,000 homes – AP – August 2, 2026
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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