About 60,000 ordered to evacuate as wildfires hit Spokane, Washington

Around 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires threaten Spokane, Washington, with officials reporting that the blazes have destroyed 600 buildings, including homes and businesses.

Tatiana Bautzer / Reuters

3 August 2026 at 03:36:59

About 60,000 ordered to evacuate as wildfires hit Spokane, Washington

A drone view shows smoke enveloping the sky as a wildfire burns in the Spokane area, Washington, U.S., August 2, 2026.

David Ryder / Reuters

NEW YORK – Around 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires threaten Spokane, Washington, with officials reporting that the blazes have destroyed 600 buildings, including homes and businesses.

The Spokane Area Fire, which consists of three separate wildfires, was threatening areas under evacuation orders, Spokane Fire Chief Tom Williams told Reuters.

The fires had burned 5,390 acres (2,180 hectares) as of Sunday, according to a federal incident management team. Williams said the fires had not yet been contained.

No injuries or deaths had been reported, officials said during a Sunday afternoon news conference.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown described the disaster as "the worst natural disaster our region has faced."

About 10,000 electricity customers in the region were without power as of Sunday afternoon, Avista Utilities CEO Heather Rosentrader said.

State officials said more than 250,000 acres (101,171 hectares) were burning across Washington state.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday and requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ferguson had also declared a statewide emergency.

-Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Sergio Non and Michael Perry/Reuters