More than 1,000 firefighters are scrambling to contain the massive wildfires that have burned hundreds of structures in Spokane County, Washington, and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes over the weekend.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said that the still-raging fires would go down in history as “the worst natural disaster our region has faced,” as more than 5,300 acres burned before Sunday afternoon — and at that time, the fires were reportedly 0% contained despite firefighters’ best efforts.
Roughly 67,000 residents were under evacuation orders and about 700 structures had been destroyed.
Weather conditions improved slightly overnight on Sunday, but because stronger winds are expected to return by Wednesday, firefighters have a limited window to get things under control.
Images and video from the disaster zone show the incredible devastation that the fires have already left in their wake.
Explosive wildfires in Spokane, Washington, have destroyed more than 600 structures, many of them within the city limits. The fast-moving flames led to mass evacuations and chaos, as families fled their homes. pic.twitter.com/38jeUeXcgo
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) August 3, 2026
The damage just keeps going. Nothing but leveled homes as far as the eye can see right now in the Indian Trail neighborhood.
It’s hard to put into words the amount of destruction that we’re seeing right now.
This is on N Westgate & Tiffany. #SpokaneComplexFire @kxly4news pic.twitter.com/dxQ5PaD6sf
— Natalie Grant | KXLY (@naniigrant) August 2, 2026
Aerial footage of the impacted area shows entire neighborhoods razed to the ground, with the fires leaving nothing behind but ashes.
WATCH: Drone footage shows entire neighborhoods reduced to ashes after the massive Spokane County wildfire. Around 65,000 people have been evacuated. pic.twitter.com/0hj5woghHG
— Scope Report (@ScopeReport_) August 3, 2026
We just arrived at the command post where hundreds of fire personnel are being briefed ahead of day 3 on the Spokane Area Fires.
Takeaways:
– The Autumn Lane Fire is expected to get worse. It grew 20 acres yesterday and is now at 3,351 acres.
– Old Trails Fire is now at 3,619… pic.twitter.com/SS5GsHTUL9— Alexandra Coenjaerts KXLY (@alex_coenjaerts) August 3, 2026
DAMAGE CONTROL 🔥: Watch the moment firefighters came face-to-face with a home that went ablaze as wildfires spread in Spokane, Washington. Spokane County Fire District 8 said they’ve been working day and night to save as many structures as possible. #Spokane #Washington… pic.twitter.com/SrMeljuxnu
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) August 3, 2026
Governor Bob Ferguson (D-WA) toured parts of the impacted area on Sunday and said he has spoken to both President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about “how dire the situation is in Spokane and across our state.” Ferguson declared a state of emergency for Washington on Sunday.
“We will be working together on additional requests for federal assistance. I deeply appreciate the President taking time to have this conversation, and I am optimistic we will receive a quick approval for our request for a federal emergency declaration,” Ferguson said.
Just a few minutes ago, I spoke with President Trump and Secretary Mullin. I detailed how dire and devastating the situation is in Spokane and across our state.
The President is aware of the situation, and expressed his concern for the people of Washington during this difficult…
— Governor Bob Ferguson (@GovBobFerguson) August 2, 2026
Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) also spoke to constituents, saying that he believed federal help would be expedited in order to manage the situation: “This is an unprecedented catastrophe for the Spokane area, but I think we’re going to see unprecedented collaboration in responding to this fire. This is not Republicans and Democrats you’re seeing before you. This is concerned elected officials. They’re going to do what’s right for this community.”
Rep Michael Baumgartner: “This is an unprecedented catastrophe for the Spokane area, but I think we’re going to see unprecedented collaboration in responding to this fire.”
“This is not Republicans and Democrats you’re seeing before you. This is concerned elected officials.… pic.twitter.com/mSuB0dZmO4
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) August 3, 2026
Benjamin Cossel, the spokesman for the California Interagency Incident Management Team 7, told The New York Times that the Spokane fires’ proximity to residential areas made it a top priority, and that two of the fires jumping the Spokane River and spreading toward a nearby canyon only made the situation more dangerous.
“The possibility for things to go sideways if it gets established in that canyon is pretty high,” he explained, saying that at that point, “there is nothing really there to stop it.”
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