Wildfires burn over 250,000 acres in Washington state, force evacuations in Spokane
Go Now evacuation orders are in effect for northwest Spokane, Washington as the Old Trails Fire crosses the Spokane River into city neighborhoods. Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency after fires burned more than 250,000 acres across Washington this summer.
Thousands of people in northwest Spokane, Washington are under Go Now evacuation orders as the fast-moving Old Trails Fire crosses the Spokane River into city neighborhoods, burning nearly 3,000 acres and threatening roughly 4,000 structures. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and burn ban after fires burned more than 250,000 acres statewide this summer, including the 134,000-acre Kaiser Canyon Fire in the northeast. About 4,000 firefighters, the National Guard, and crews from more than a dozen states are fighting more than a dozen active fires. Spokane officials evacuated a water reclamation facility, a waste-energy plant, and the VA hospital, while utility company Avista reported 60,000 customers without power.