Overview
- The fire began on Saturday around midday and grew rapidly, prompting level-3 mandatory evacuations and the opening of shelters for thousands of residents.
- Officials reported the largest blaze, Old Trails, has burned about 3,509 acres (1,420 hectares) as flames pushed into residential neighborhoods and toward Riverside State Park.
- Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state emergency and banned open burns while Avista cut power to hundreds of homes because weather made conditions especially dangerous.
- Local authorities say hundreds of structures have been destroyed or threatened, reinforcements and mutual-aid crews are arriving, and investigators are still working to determine the cause.
- Washington is in its fourth year of drought and one of its busiest fire seasons, with more than 1,000 fires and roughly 172,000 hectares burned so far, increasing smoke, strained resources, and public health risks.