Wildfires across Washington state prompt evacuations
Wildfires across Washington state have burned over 450,000 acres, leading to widespread evacuations and power outages for 60,000 residents in the Spokane area. Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency as high winds and temperatures complicate firefighting efforts.
Why it matters
The scale of the fires and the threat to critical infrastructure like water and energy facilities underscore the increasing severity of wildfire seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Old Trails Fire is seen from W. Northwest Blvd., on Saturday, in Spokane, Wash. Young Kwak/The Associated Press
Wildfires across more than a quarter of a million acres in Washington state have prompted widespread evacuations and power outages in the Spokane area, state officials said on Saturday evening.
About 4,000 people were fighting more than a dozen fires throughout the state, Dave Upthegrove, the state’s commissioner of public lands, said during a virtual press conference.
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