About 5,000 homes have been evacuated and approximately 600 homes, businesses, and other buildings have been destroyed by wildfires that remained uncontained on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, in eastern Washington state, authorities reported.

The fires, including the Old Trails Fire, Fairview Fire, and Meadowview Fire, burned more than 8.2 square miles around Spokane, Washington's second-largest city. These fires are part of dozens burning across the western United States, stretching the capacity of federal, state, and local firefighting agencies.

No deaths have been reported so far in the Spokane area. However, the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag alert for eastern Washington, and Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Saturday, August 1st.

Benjamin Cossel, public information officer for the federal response team from California, noted that while temperatures in Spokane were forecast to remain below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, wind gusts between 35 mph and 45 mph were expected later in the day. He explained that the area's steep slopes and numerous canyons, especially around the Spokane River which cuts through the city of about 229,000 people, create turbulent wind patterns that push the fire through the terrain, complicating firefighting efforts.

“We have weather working against us, and we have terrain working against us,” Cossel said. He added that as the day warms, cool air near the ground that currently suppresses winds will rise, allowing stronger winds to move through the area and potentially exacerbate the fires.

State officials have also issued air quality warnings due to the fires.

Sources