Raging wildfires in Spokane force tens of thousands to evacuate, burn down hundreds of buildings

Raging wildfires forced thousands of people to evacuate the Spokane, Washington, area over the weekend. Kris Van Cleave reports.

The Spokane-area fires have scorched more than 8,000 acres (3,237ha) since erupting on Aug 1.

Firefighters are battling a series of blazes that began this weekend in Washington state and are continuing to burn in and around Spokane, the state's second most populous city. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed. Stephanie Sy reports.

The Spokane-area wildfires were completely uncontained, said Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate  apnews.com

Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate  Toronto Star

Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate

Some residents returned to devastated neighborhoods in eastern Washington state to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend

Spokane wildfires expand, force 65,000 from their homes in Washington  USA Today

Hundreds of structures damaged as firefighters battle to contain 15 major wildfires amid extreme heat and drought Firefighters in Washington state are battling wildfires that have forced 60,000 people to flee and destroyed hundreds of buildings as drought and extreme heat fuel an “extraordinary” fire season in the Paci

Tyler Vanwert / Reuters People watch as massive plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire in Spokane, Washington, on August 1, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social-media video. David Ryder / Reuters Wildfire smoke hangs in the sky above Spokane, Washington, as the Old Trails Fire burns nearby on August 3, 2026.

Wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said Sunday.

Firefighters were hopeful that improving weather conditions in Washington state could help efforts to contain the blaze, which officials described as the largest natural disaster in the history of Spokane.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown says nearly half of the city's neighborhoods have either been evacuated or are at risk as the fires remain uncontained.

Light winds and lower temperatures are in the forecast to help firefighters with wildfires in eastern Washington state that have forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area

Flames are tearing through Spokane in Washington state, forcing more than 60,000 to evacuate. Neighborhoods are obliterated with shells of homes left behind. NBC’s Morgan Chesky reports for TODAY.

A total of 1,000sq km (386sq miles) has burned across Washington state, and some of the fires have not been contained.

Wildfires Destroy Hundreds of Homes in Washington State  WSJ

Dozens Of Wildfires Burn In Western States, Prompting Thousands To Flee  HuffPost

Washington Wildfires: Thousands In Spokane Area Told To Evacuate  Forbes

Thousands of people have been evacuated.