Thousands of people under evacuation order from wildfires in Spokane, Wash.
Rapidly moving wildfires in Spokane, Washington, have forced thousands of residents to evacuate under emergency orders. State officials have mobilized the National Guard and declared a wildfire emergency as the fires threaten thousands of structures.
Why it matters
It highlights the immediate danger posed by climate-driven natural disasters to populated urban areas.
Large numbers of residents in the city of Spokane have been told to urgently evacuate their homes due to rapidly moving wildfires in eastern Washington state.
There are three fast-moving fires in and around the city, with the biggest threat coming from the Old Trails Fire. That fire started on Saturday afternoon local time and had burned over 3,500 acres by early Sunday morning, according to the Watch Duty app. Swaths of Spokane are under Level 3 evacuation orders , which read: "Leave NOW! This may be your only notice."
Late Saturday night, the Washington National Guard was mobilized to assist local first responders. "The Washington National Guard is making 30 members available tonight to Spokane authorities for any emerging needs," it said in a Facebook post.
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