Washington firefighters contain Spokane wildfires amid rising heat
Fire crews have established containment lines around three Spokane-area blazes that have destroyed roughly 850 structures and displaced about 67,000 residents, while hotter, drier weather is expected later this week.
Firefighters in Washington state have begun to secure the perimeters of three wildfires that have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate around Spokane, the state's second-largest city. Cooler temperatures over the past two days allowed crews to set containment lines, but officials warned that temperatures are expected to rise into the upper 90s°F with lower humidity later in the week, increasing fire danger.
The Old Trails Fire, which authorities say was deliberately set, along with the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, have together destroyed an estimated 850 buildings. About 67,000 residents have been displaced since the blazes ignited last weekend, and damage-assessment teams have not yet finalized the count of homes lost. No fatalities have been reported.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels told a news conference that evacuation zones will remain in place for many days because of the forecast weather and fire risk. > "We are not going to be downgrading these zones in any large way for many, many more days to come," he said. > "If we let people back in and we don’t have a high degree of certainty the fire lines will hold, we will put people in danger."
Many evacuees are staying in a convention-center shelter, hotels, rentals, or with friends and relatives, uncertain when they can return home. The fires are part of a broader surge of wildfires across the western United States that have strained federal, state and local response resources.
Washington's Department of Natural Resources reported that 16 wildfires remain uncontained, burning more than 672 square miles and involving over 7,000 fire personnel. Spokesperson Thomas Kyle-Milward said the state is confronting one of its most severe fire seasons.
Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, has been arrested and charged with arson for the Old Trails Fire and is expected to be arraigned. He denied starting the blaze when questioned. Authorities noted he had been contacted in two prior fire investigations last year but was not charged.
In a related development, California officials arrested a 65-year-old man on suspicion of causing a separate wildfire by operating equipment recklessly, pending prosecutors' decision on charges.