Spokane Wildfire Destroys 640 Structures, Fire Chief Says

The Old Trails wildfire destroyed 640 structures in northwest Spokane on Saturday, Spokane County Fire District 3 Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach told The Spokesman-Review, with many homes lost inside the city limits.

Officials had confirmed no deaths as of early Sunday, though Rohrbach said fatalities were anticipated based on radio traffic. The blaze covered 3,500 acres late Saturday, and combined Spokane-area fires reached 5,390 acres by Sunday morning, officials said.

Probably the largest, most destructive fire in Washington’s history. — Incident Commander Tom Clemo

Clemo said confirming how many homes burned could take days.

The fire began on the West Plains, then wind pushed it northeast into Riverside State Park before it jumped the Spokane River and burned neighborhoods including Indian Trails and Five Mile Prairie.

Mass evacuations remained in place, and the Spokane Convention Center served as the main shelter. Mayor Lisa Brown declared a state of emergency as winds gusted 35 to 45 mph. Gov. Bob Ferguson activated the National Guard and planned to fly to Spokane on Sunday.

Hundreds of firefighters fought the fire, including 120 people from California Interagency Management Team 7. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.