Washington wildfires destroy 600 structures, force evacuation of 5,000 homes
Wildfires raging in eastern Washington have destroyed around 600 homes, businesses and other structures and forced the evacuation of about 5,000 homes, authorities said.
The fires, which remained uncontained on Sunday, have burned around 21 square kilometres in and around Spokane, the state's second-largest city. No deaths have been reported in the Spokane area so far.
The fires are among dozens burning across the western United States, putting federal, state and local firefighting agencies under increasing pressure.
Three major fires — the Old Trails, Fairview and Meadowview fires — were burning in the Spokane area, while authorities issued air quality warnings.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Saturday, while the National Weather Service issued a "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning for eastern Washington.
Weather conditions were expected to make firefighting more difficult. Although temperatures in Spokane were forecast to remain below 27 degrees Celsius on Sunday, wind gusts of up to 72 kph were expected later in the day.
Benjamin Cossel, public information officer for a federal response team deployed from California to assist with the Spokane-area fires, said the combination of weather and difficult terrain posed major challenges for firefighters.
As temperatures rise, cooler air near the ground is expected to move upwards, allowing stronger winds to develop and potentially intensify the fires, Cossel said.
The Spokane River runs through the city, which has a population of about 229,000, while steep slopes and canyons surrounding the area could channel and strengthen winds, he said.
"They push the fire through the canyons, up, up the slopes, and then outside the slopes and around," Cossel said, describing the terrain as steep and difficult for firefighting operations.
Authorities have set up an emergency shelter at Spokane's main convention centre for people displaced by the fires.
