Washington wildfires prompt evacuations and power outages in Spokane

Spokane, United States. Wildfires across more than a quarter of a million acres in Washington state prompted widespread evacuations and power outages in the Spokane area on Saturday, state officials said.

Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and burn ban, while officials said no fire-related injuries or fatalities were known at that stage.

Fire response

About 4,000 people were fighting more than a dozen fires across the state, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said during a virtual press conference.

Ferguson said the state was facing a serious situation involving multiple fires, adding that high winds and high temperatures expected during the weekend would make firefighting more difficult.

About 450,000 acres have burned in Washington state so far this summer, Upthegrove said.

Spokane evacuations

Spokane, a city of about 230,000 residents in eastern Washington, was dealing with the Old Trails Fire, which was active across 3,000 acres and threatening 4,000 structures, according to Washington State Forester George Geissler.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said several major facilities had been evacuated, including water reclamation facilities, a waste-energy plant and the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.

As of 3:30pm, about 200 homes in Spokane had been evacuated, although officials expected that number to change.

Power outages and major fires

Utilities company Avista reported that 60,000 people in eastern Washington were without power, according to Stacey McClain of the Washington State Emergency Management Division.

Geissler said the Spokane fire was one of five major complex fires in the state. The largest, the Kaiser Canyon Fire in northeastern Washington, covered about 134,000 acres.