Old Trails Fire Jumps Spokane River, Thousands Ordered to Evacuate as Washington Declares Statewide Emergency

Fire Crosses the River Into Spokane

A fast-moving wildfire tore through eastern Washington on Saturday, August 1, jumping the Spokane River and burning directly into the city of Spokane. Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate as flames consumed homes in the Indian Trail neighborhood, according to The Spokesman-Review.

The blaze, named the Old Trails Fire, started around noon near the intersection of Old Trails Road and Euclid Avenue on the West Plains, according to a Washington State Fire Marshal news release cited by Yahoo News. State firefighters mobilized about 90 minutes later. By 8:20 p.m. the fire had grown to roughly 3,509 acres, pushed by wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph, according to The Spokesman-Review.

The cause of the fire has not been released and remains under investigation.

Mass Evacuations, Convention Center Shelter

Level 3 "go now" evacuation orders, the highest level issued in Washington, went out just before 3:30 p.m. for a large swath of Spokane, from north of Francis Avenue and west of Division Street, The Spokesman-Review reported. Emergency officials urged everyone in the zone to leave immediately, warning of "life-threatening conditions."

The city opened a fire evacuation center at the Spokane Convention Center at 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The Spokane County Fairgrounds opened space for evacuees with RVs, along with room for displaced animals, according to The Spokesman-Review. Yahoo News reported an additional shelter opened at a community college.

Washington State Forester George Geissler said at a Saturday news conference that the fire had burned nearly 3,000 acres and that about 4,000 buildings were threatened. Homes were confirmed burning in multiple areas, though officials have not released a damage count.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said at the same news conference that it was too early to discuss the scale of property loss. "We're not in a place right now where we can discuss the magnitude of the property destruction," Brown said.

Residents described scenes of chaos. Monica Opfer, who lives near Indian Trail Elementary School, told The Spokesman-Review she watched the fire close in on her home and could feel the heat from the flames before grabbing her dog, Mabel, and her medication and leaving. Bobbi Atwood's home on West Euclid Road burned. Her dog Luna escaped with burned paws, but Atwood said several other pets remained missing, according to the paper.

Officials Call Conditions Extraordinary

Washington National Guard Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the state's adjutant general, said the fire conditions were the worst he has seen in his 38-year career. "When the sun sets and the sun rises in the morning, I think we're going to be in shock to see some of the scenes that emerge out of there," Welsh said, according to both The Spokesman-Review and Yahoo News.

Welsh added: "You've got fires burning in towns. You've got level 3 evacuations like I haven't seen before. This is a very dangerous and very complex series of events."

Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove echoed that assessment at a joint news conference alongside Gov. Ferguson. "This is an extraordinary fire season. This is not normal, this is unusual," Upthegrove said, adding that all necessary resources were being assigned to prevent loss of life and property.

Gov. Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency and burn ban Saturday morning as the National Weather Service issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning across Central and Eastern Washington, according to Yahoo News. It is the first time the weather service has issued that specific warning designation in the state. The Washington Department of Natural Resources said the warning means "new fires can grow out of control rapidly, our aircraft response may be limited by wind and smoke, and our already taxed wild land firefighters will be in more dangerous conditions."

Ferguson said he received word by late afternoon that "Spokane was rapidly moving into a crisis situation," and described seeing video of homes in flames. "Our hearts go out to Washingtonians who are losing their homes and being evacuated," he said.

A Statewide Problem, Not Just Spokane

The Old Trails Fire is one of at least 12 large fires burning across Washington, which together have consumed more than 200,000 acres statewide, according to figures from the governor's office cited by Yahoo News. Several thousand homes in Spokane County were under evacuation orders beyond the Old Trails Fire zone alone, emergency management officials told CNN, as relayed by Yahoo News.

AP News flagged the story among its top national headlines Saturday but did not provide additional reporting details beyond noting the evacuations and wind-driven spread.

With the fire still active and winds continuing to gust past 35 mph as of Saturday night, officials have not released casualty figures, a confirmed structure-loss count, or a cause for the blaze. Investigators have not said when a cause determination might be complete, and Spokane's mayor has indicated a fuller damage assessment will not be possible until conditions stabilize.