Wind-driven wildfire in Spokane prompts evacuations, destroys structures

More than 11,000 people in the Spokane, Washington, area were under evacuation orders after a wind-fueled wildfire broke out Tuesday, according to officials, who said some structures had been lost.

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About 2,340 primary and secondary structures were under evacuation orders from the so-called Upriver Fire, which was first reported around 12:17 p.m., according to Matthew Vinci, fire chief for Spokane County Fire District 9.

“We have lost some structures,” Vinci said at a news conference Tuesday evening. “We don’t have an exact number right now.”

No injuries have been reported, but the high winds were creating dangerous conditions, he said. He said around 11,750 residents were under evacuation orders.

The fire was estimated to be around 250 acres Tuesday evening, but threatened a densely populated area, officials said.

The fire response will take days, Vinci said. Firefighters from the city of Spokane and around the state were assisting, he said, and federal help was on the way.

The fire started and spread as the Spokane area and other parts of Washington state and Oregon were under “red flag” warnings from the National Weather Service due to high winds and relatively low humidity.

Spokane Regional Emergency Communications, which provides 911 service for the area, on Monday warned that fire season had arrived, and urged people to prepare plans.

The National Weather Service warned of winds from the west of 15 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 40 to 50 mph, and low relative humidity.

“Wind-driven fires are very, very dangerous,” Vinci said. “They’re dangerous to work in, they move very rapidly, they have a lot of fuel in that area. It’s a very densely populated area.”

The city said earlier Tuesday that the wildfire conditions prompted a public safety power shutoff in parts of northwest Spokane.

Red flag warnings stretched from north-central Washington and to the Idaho border and into parts of northern and central Oregon on Tuesday evening, according to the weather service.

Gov. Bob Ferguson said that he has been briefed on the fire and that he and his team were monitoring it closely.

He said on social media that he has requested a fire management assistance declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which he expected to be approved.

“My thoughts are with the first responders fighting this blaze, and with the families evacuated from their homes,” Ferguson said.