Overview
- A fast-moving wildfire crossed the Spokane River on Saturday, prompting 'Go Now' evacuation orders for large parts of north Spokane and the opening of shelters for evacuees.
- State officials report more than 80,900 hectares burning across 12 major fires in Washington so far this year, a level they describe as one of the busiest on record.
- Governor Bob Ferguson invoked emergency powers that restrict most outdoor and agricultural burning until September 30 and mobilized resources for firefighting and public safety.
- Officials blame a fourth consecutive year of statewide drought combined with strong winds for the rapid spread of fires and warn conditions remain dangerous for more communities.
- The fires are part of a wider regional wave of blazes that included about three million hectares burned in Canada in July, raising the risk of more evacuations, strained emergency resources, and poorer air quality across the Pacific Northwest.