Here's the latest
• Washington wildfires: At least 600 structures have been destroyed and thousands of families have evacuated as crews battle three major wildfires in Spokane County, Washington. The county fire chief said flames swept through so quickly that officials are still confirming whether anyone is hurt or missing, and “there is potential for loss of life.”
• Communities devastated: Evacuees described leaving home with little more than they could carry. Some are waiting anxiously at evacuation centers, while others have returned to burn areas and are stepping through hot rubble to collect their belongings.
• Statewide response: Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency, and the state’s National Guard has been deployed. The Autumn Lane Fire burning northwest of Spokane is now the number one priority, according to officials.
• Climate crisis: The Pacific Northwest is facing its worst fire season in more than 30 years as climate change supercharges the conditions for destructive blazes.
Airplane video captures wildfire smoke blanketing area
As CNN’s Julia Vargas Jones flew into Spokane, Washington, on Sunday, she captured a time-lapse video from her airplane window showing the hazy skies as the wildfire blankets the region in smoke.
Residents have returned to some burn areas to sift through rubble
Some families have begun returning to their communities outside Spokane, Washington, to assess the damage from the region’s devastating wildfires.
Noah Boelter, an anchor for CNN affiliate KHQ, described residents stepping across bricks and rocks so they could collect their valuables from hot rubble.
Watch the report below:
Washington state officials will hold a news conference later today
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) to provide an update on the ongoing wildfires in Spokane County, Washington.
County Commissioners Chris Jordan and Josh Kerns will join Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, Sheriff John Nowels and fire response officials for the joint conference.
Spokane woman describes "heartbreaking" loss of home of more than 21 years
A Spokane County, Washington, woman described losing the home she owned for more than 21 years as “heartbreaking,” in an interview with CNN affiliate KHQ.
“You walk away with what you have on, and that’s it,” she said. “But we’re safe, so that’s all that matters.”
The home held her children’s memories from growing up, all of which she said are now gone.
Two neighboring homes were also destroyed, while another house next door was left largely untouched, with only minor damage to its front yard.
Over 1,300 wildfires have burned 1.9 million acres in Oregon in 2026, state forester says
There are more than 30 large wildfires burning in Oregon, said Kacey KC, state forester and director of the Oregon Department of Forestry.
More than 1,300 wildfires have burned about 1.9 million acres this year; that’s nearing the highest in recorded history of 1.93 million acres in 2024, KC told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
The large fires burning in the state are primarily lightning caused, and are being fueled by particularly dangerous conditions of high winds and low fuel moisture, KC said.
“Unfortunately, we just continue to get hit with weather conditions that aren’t allowing us to get a handle around these fires,” she said.
The good news is despite 10 new fire starts on Saturday, firefighters got a good handle on those blazes quickly and the large fires have seen limited growth, KC said.
Autumn Lane Fire is No. 1 priority blaze in the US, spokesperson says
Crews are focusing on the Autumn Lane Fire in Spokane, Washington, as the Old Trails and Fairview fires are holding, Tom B. Stokesberry III, lead public information officer for California Interagency Incident Management Team 7, told CNN affiliate KHQ.
“We’re the number one priority fire in the nation,” Stokesberry said.
Weather is going to be a challenge for firefighters on all three fires, he said.
No firefighters have been injured while battling the blazes, but civilian injuries are still being assessed, Stokesberry added.
Fire chief says no known injuries but there is "potential for loss of life"
There have been no known injuries either to the public or first responders in the blazing fires in and around Spokane, Washington, the chief of the county’s Fire District 3 said, but crews are still working to confirm there is no one reported missing and no victims among the hundreds of structures the flames destroyed.
“It’s been a long 24 hours,” Chief Cody Rohrbach said.
“We’re hoping for the best,” he continued. But “based on how quickly the fire moved and spread and number of structures lost, there is potential for loss of life.”
VA medical center evacuated
Among those evacuated Saturday due to the wildfires were patients at Spokane’s veterans’ medical center, which remains closed.
Shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday, leaders at the center began working to evacuate patients and staff, the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center said in a statement.
Patients requiring ongoing medical care were accepted at local acute care hospitals, while 27 patients are under the care of VA staff at local shelters, the statement said.
Mapping the major wildfires in Spokane County
Officials say at least 600 structures have been destroyed and many others are under threat in Spokane County, Washington.
Here’s a closer look at where emergency crews are focusing today:
Out-of-state firefighters head to Spokane to help battle the blazes
Responders from outside the area are joining the effort to battle wildfires that have already destroyed hundreds of structures in Spokane County, Washington.
A team of responders that has helped with disasters across the country, including the deadly Palisades and Camp fires, joined the effort in Spokane this weekend, Tom B. Stokesberry III, lead public information officer for California Interagency Incident Management Team 7, told CNN affiliate KHQ.
Incident management teams are composed of personnel from federal and local agencies. They are often called in to help when a jurisdiction needs more personnel and resources than it has to respond to an incident.
Stokesberry said his team of about 130 people arrived around 9 p.m. Saturday, with responders immediately joining in alongside the Spokane Fire Department to battle the flames.
An urban landscape presents unique challenges for firefighters, he noted.
“You’re dealing with different fuel types. You’re dealing with the complexities of people trying to evacuate, and of course the hazmat situations that come along with all the different houses,” Stokesberry said.
Responders are now working to protect additional structures from burning, as they continue to battle active fire fronts Sunday morning, he added.
Spokane wildfire destroys at least 600 structures
At least 600 structures have been destroyed as wildfires burn through the Spokane area, according to Tom Stokesberry, public information officer with California Interagency Incident Management Team 7, which helps coordinate wildfire response with federal, state, local and tribal agencies happening anywhere in the US.
It is not yet clear how many were primary residences, and the count includes outbuildings and other structures, CNN affiliate KHQ reported.
Firefighting conditions in Spokane improve but remain less than ideal
Weather conditions in Spokane and eastern Washington have already improved from the extreme levels that caused fires to break out and rapidly spread yesterday, but fire danger will remain elevated today, and smoke and air quality will worsen.
On Saturday, sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts topping 40 mph ripped across eastern Washington, including Spokane, for several hours. Winds have already eased considerably on Sunday, generally ranging from 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.
Those winds are expected to continue through tonight before easing further on Monday. That drop in wind speeds is lowering, but not eliminating, the fire threat on Sunday.
Fire threat: Fire weather concerns have fallen from yesterday’s highest-end Level 3 of 3 “extremely critical” category to a lower, but still elevated, Level 1 of 3 threat in eastern Washington. Cooler temperatures are also helping, but dry fuels, low humidity and occasional breezes mean existing fires and any new ones could still spread.
Looking ahead: Warmer and drier weather is expected to return to Spokane and eastern Washington by midweek.
The next concern is smoke. Winds shifting out of the north and northwest will transport smoke from regional wildfires, including fires burning in British Columbia, Canada, into parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho on Sunday. Air quality concerns could persist through the middle of the week.
Smoke billows over Spokane
Plumes of smoke billowed across the Spokane area overnight as firefighters continued to battle three major wildfires burning through the region.
Helicopters flew above the smoke Saturday, dropping water onto the flames as winds gusted. Although conditions improved Sunday, firefighters are still facing challenging winds.
Thousands of families were ordered to leave their homes overnight, under an evacuation order encompassing the city’s veterans’ hospital, water reclamation facility and waste-to-energy plant. Thousands of homes and structures remain without power.
One resident said that in his 30 years living in the area, he had become accustomed to seeing smoke from fires in the distance but had never seen the flames come so close to his home.
A shelter has been set up at a local community college for displaced residents.
Satellite imagery shows wildfires burning across Washington
Satellite imagery shows fires flaring up as multiple wildfires burn across Washington. The red and orange glowing areas indicate hot spots associated with the wildfires in eastern Washington.
The largest of three fires in Spokane has burned more than 3000 acres
The Old Trails Fire burned 3,509 acres and is one of several fast-moving wildfires burning in Spokane County, where evacuation orders have forced thousands of residents from their homes, emergency management officials told CNN.
Authorities issued the highest level of evacuation order, Level 3, for multiple communities in the Spokane area as flames advanced. Emergency management officials urged residents to leave immediately, saying they should “leave now due to the life-threatening conditions.”
The Pacific Northwest is facing its worst fire season in more than 30 years
Oregon and Washington have been hit by their worst fire season in more than 30 years, with flames burning more than 2.1 million acres as of July 30.
Firefighters are working to control several fast-moving wildfires in Spokane County, Washington, known collectively as the Spokane Complex.
The Spokane Complex comprises a trio of active blazes: the Old Trails Fire, which has burned 3,509 acres; the Fairview Fire, which has spread across 981 acres; and the Autumn Lane Fire, which has consumed 900 acres.
It's past midnight in Spokane. Here's where things stand
Three wildfires are burning in Spokane County, Washington, and thousands of families have been ordered to flee their homes overnight, as state officials warn of an incredibly dangerous situation and brace for what daylight may reveal.
Here’s the latest:
- The fires: The Old Trails Fire, the largest of three blazes burning in Spokane County, has scorched more than 3,000 acres and is threatening up to 5,000 structures, officials said. The Fairview Fire (about 979 acres) and Meadowview Fire (about 500 acres) are also burning fast. Officials warn conditions won’t improve overnight.
- Evacuations: The highest-level evacuation order – Level 3 – has been issued for several areas, with authorities telling residents to “leave now due to the life-threatening conditions.” A shelter has opened at a local community college. The fire has also forced evacuations at Spokane’s veterans’ hospital, water reclamation facility and waste-to-energy plant, city officials said.
- The response: Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency and burn ban, and says he’ll travel to Spokane this morning. The Washington National Guard is sending 30 members to help with evacuations and traffic control. More than 4,000 personnel are battling fires statewide, with crews from 14 states and an Australian team assisting.
- The bigger picture: Washington is battling at least 10 large fires that have burned over 425,000 acres this year – the most since 2021 – amid a fourth straight year of drought. It’s part of a historically destructive US wildfire year, nearly 30,000 fires have ignited nationwide as of late spring, burning more than 2 million acres — the most in 14 years.
Gov. Ferguson to visit Spokane as fires burn
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson says he will travel to Spokane this morning to meet with responders and monitor the emergency response to the fires.
“My thoughts are with the first responders and all those under evacuation tonight,” Ferguson said in a post on X. “If you are in the area, please continue to be vigilant and follow directions of emergency personnel.”
For one family, a quiet morning gave way to flames
Dmitriy Gorelov spotted the first sign of smoke pluming from a hill across the river, the same view his family looks at every day from their home in Spokane County. At first, he said, it didn’t seem serious.
But then the wind picked up.
“It’s a real strong wind starting up, and it was so quick – fires cover our area,” he told CNN affiliate KREM.
By around noon, his phone was buzzing. Three or four evacuation alerts arrived in quick succession, he said, until the order was to leave immediately. Then police knocked on his door.
“They just said, ‘Yeah, you need to leave,’” Gorelov said. “So that was the last time we were in the house.”
Gorelov, his wife and their two children plan to spend the night with relatives in Spokane. “We pray for our city, for our firefighters, everything,” he said.
Spokane firefighters battling three wildfires
Fire crews in Spokane remained in an aggressive fight against three rapidly spreading wildfires Saturday evening, with officials warning that conditions are not expected to improve at night.
In an evening update, the Spokane County Fire District 9 department said winds continue to maintain and “fire activity may remain significant.”
At 8 p.m. local time, the Old Trails Fire was more than 2,000 acres, the fire department said, making it the largest of the three active fires.
The Fairview Fire was estimated at about 979 acres and remains a fast-moving threat, according to firefighters.
Meanwhile, the size of the Meadowview Fire was estimated to be 500 acres.
Officials urged residents to refer to Spokane County Emergency Management and local emergency authorities for evacuation information.
