Key Points
- Around 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in and around Spokane, Washington, as wildfires continue to spread.
- The fires in the Spokane area have destroyed about 600 buildings, including homes and businesses, according to local officials.
- The Spokane Area Fire consists of three separate blazes and was still not contained as of the latest reports.
- A federal incident management team said the fires had burned 5,390 acres by Sunday, while broader reporting said wildfires across Washington had burned more than 250,000 acres statewide.
- Around 10,000 electricity customers in the region were without power, and Avista reported about 60,000 customers without electricity across eastern Washington.
- No injuries or deaths had been reported at the time of the latest reports.
- Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump to request FEMA assistance.
- Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown called the situation “the worst natural disaster our region has faced.”
Spokane (Evening Washington News) August 3, 2026 – Wildfires in and around Spokane have forced large-scale evacuations, damaged hundreds of buildings and cut power to thousands of customers, while state officials continue to warn that the wider fire emergency across Washington remains active. The latest reporting shows that emergency crews are still working across several fire fronts, with no confirmed fatalities or injuries so far.
Why have evacuations been ordered in Spokane?
Evacuation orders were issued because the Spokane Area Fire, made up of three separate blazes, was threatening nearby communities and critical facilities. Spokane Fire Chief Tom Williams said the fires were still not contained, and local officials said the evacuations covered roughly 60,000 people.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said evacuation orders had also affected key infrastructure, including water treatment-related facilities, a waste-to-energy plant and a Veterans Affairs hospital. One report said about 200 homes were evacuated initially, but officials expected the number to rise as conditions developed.
How much damage have the fires caused?
Local officials said the fires in the Spokane area had destroyed about 600 buildings, including homes and businesses. Another report said about 600 homes, businesses and other buildings had been destroyed, while later coverage said the number of destroyed structures was around 640.
The wider wildfire situation in Washington is much larger than the Spokane emergency alone. State officials said more than 250,000 acres had burned across Washington, and some reports described 16 or 17 active large fires across the state.
What is the current power situation?
Power outages have been widespread in eastern Washington because of the fires and precautionary shutdowns. Avista, the utility serving the region, said roughly 60,000 customers were without power, while another report said around 10,000 electricity customers in the Spokane region had no power by Sunday afternoon.
The outages add another layer of disruption for residents already under evacuation orders, especially where emergency services, transport and critical infrastructure are affected.
What have officials said?
Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and said he had spoken with President Donald Trump to request Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. The state’s emergency declaration and federal request underline the scale of the fire emergency across Washington.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said the disaster was the worst the region had faced, while fire officials said crews were still trying to contain the blazes. Officials repeatedly said there had been no confirmed injuries or deaths at the time of publication.
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Background of this development
Washington state has been dealing with an active and difficult wildfire season, with multiple large fires burning in eastern and central parts of the state. Earlier reports showed that fires had already burned hundreds of thousands of acres statewide, and dry conditions, heat and smoke had worsened the situation.
The current Spokane emergency is part of a broader statewide pattern, with emergency declarations, burn bans and large-scale evacuations already in place before the latest escalation. The wider situation also includes concerns about air quality and the risk of new fires spreading in hot, dry weather.
What is the likely impact on residents?
For people in Spokane and surrounding areas, the immediate impact is likely to remain evacuation, displacement, power loss and restricted access to neighbourhoods and public facilities. The situation may also affect access to water services, hospital operations and local transport if more infrastructure is threatened.
For the wider audience across Washington, the development suggests continued disruption from smoke, emergency alerts and possible further evacuations if fire conditions remain unstable. Even where flames are not directly approaching, poor air quality and utility interruptions may continue to affect daily life.
