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Thousands flee as fire reaches Spokane
August 2, 2026
A fast-moving wildfire drove into northwest Spokane on Saturday, forcing Level 3 evacuations, emergency declarations and a National Guard call-up.
The Spokesman-Review reports the fire started on the West Plains on Saturday afternoon, was pushed by gusts of 35 to 45 mph into Riverside State Park, then crossed the Spokane River into the city, with mass evacuations ordered north of Francis Avenue and west of Division Street. CNN reports the blaze began around noon and that state firefighters were mobilized about 1:30 p.m. NPR reports three fires burning in and around the city, the Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane, with the Old Trails posing the largest threat.
Acreage is where the accounts split, and the gap traces to which official is speaking and when. CNN reports Geissler putting the fire at nearly 3,000 acres at a Saturday news conference. NonStop Local KHQ reports Rodruck estimating around 3,500. The Spokesman-Review reports the National Interagency Fire Center at 3,509 acres as of 8:20 p.m., and NPR reports over 3,500 acres by early Sunday morning, citing the Watch Duty app. The structure figures behave the same way: NPR reports Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Jessica Walston telling CNN overnight that up to 5,000 structures were threatened, while CNN reports Geissler putting about 4,000 buildings at risk hours earlier. The figures come from different officials at different hours, but they remain contested because no single authoritative number has emerged and the estimates diverge by roughly 500 acres.
On damage, NonStop Local KHQ reports Tom Stokesberry of California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 saying preliminary assessments indicate 600 structures destroyed, a count that includes outbuildings, and adds that there is no total for structures lost. The Spokesman-Review reports Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels citing fire chief estimates of roughly 50 to 100 structures burned, and city officials unable to say Saturday night whether anyone was hurt. On the response, NPR reports the Washington National Guard offering 30 members to Spokane authorities and CNN reports Ferguson activating 110 Guard members on Friday. NPR reports Ferguson saying he would travel to Spokane on Sunday morning and adding: “If you are in the area, please continue to be vigilant and follow directions of emergency personnel.” NonStop Local KHQ reports only that he announced he would arrive Sunday. Shelters, evacuation zones, the emergency declarations and the fire's path into the city are settled. Its size and the structure count are not.
Still developing
The fire's size remains unresolved, with official estimates ranging from nearly 3,000 acres to the National Interagency Fire Center's 3,509 as of Saturday evening, and no containment figure reported by any outlet. The number of homes and buildings destroyed is also open, with a preliminary count of 600 structures set against a much lower sheriff's estimate.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- NPR — Thousands of people under evacuation order from wildfires in Spokane, Wash.
- The Spokesman-Review — 'When the sun rises, we are going to be in shock': Thousands evacuated in north Spokane as wildfire crosses river into city
- NonStop Local KHQ — Evacuation shelter opens for Spokane Complex Fire evacuees as 3,500 acre fire burns north of Airway Heights
- CNN — Thousands ordered to flee homes as fast-moving wildfire grows in Spokane County, Washington - CNN
- KREM — Here’s what we know about all the fires currently burning across Spokane County