While 67,000 people evacuated and thousands of additional properties remain at risk, Sheriff John Nowels confirmed that no deaths have been reported.
The scale of the destruction is becoming visible as residents return to neighborhoods like those surrounding Rifle Club Road. Some evacuees found their homes leveled, while others searched through ash for family jewelry or attempted to save remaining property with sprinklers. The state’s adjutant general described the resulting landscape as a “war zone.”
Among those returning was Doug Howie, who bought a home with his wife just a year ago. Standing in the wreckage of what he called the “perfect” home, Howie joked about lawn care no longer being needed and claimed the shed he had recently built in the back was pristine. I might as well have a good time on this magic carpet ride,
Howie said. James Ashlock, who also lost his home down the block, said, It doesn’t really register; it doesn’t seem real. So you just kind of have to make jokes.
The 10,000-Acre Fire Footprint
Three primary fires—Old Trails in Northwest Spokane, Autumn Lane in the Suncrest area, and Fairview in Mead—have burned a combined 10,000 acres as of Monday night, according to data from Inciweb. Incident commander Tom Clemo stated that 67,000 people evacuated due to the blazes.
Current operations are focused on stopping the spread of the Autumn Lane fire and providing structure protection within the Old Trails and Fairview footprints. Clemo noted that tens of thousands of structures remain at risk. He stated that “hot shots” and every resource that we have available
are being moved to that section. Clemo emphasized the need to manage active fire interiors to prevent embers from burnt homes from igniting neighboring properties, stating, the last thing we want to do is have a burnt home and the embers of that home ignite a neighbor.
Search for 14 Residents and Evacuation Status
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels reported that law enforcement is working to locate 14 people. While the county received 290 reports of individuals needing help with evacuation, investigators have located all but these 14. Nowels clarified that these individuals are not necessarily missing, stating, I do not want people to think that we have 14 missing people. These are people who may have called for help evacuating and many of them likely did get evacuated.
Nowels attributed the lack of contact to dead cellphone batteries, poor cellphone coverage, or residents finding shelter elsewhere, adding, They are people we are just trying to confirm are fine.
Returning home remains restricted for many. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown warned that Level 3 “go now” evacuation areas are still dangerous. Brown stated there is currently no timeline for when residents can return, noting that re-evaluations happen neighborhood by neighborhood and block by block based on weather, the fire, and the potential for things to reignite. “We don’t know,” Brown said regarding the timeline, which could be a week or even weeks.
Structure Loss and Law Enforcement Reports
The confirmed toll of the weekend fires includes more than 700 lost structures, with an additional 400 properties requiring further evaluation. Despite the devastation, Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall and Sheriff Nowels reported no founded reports of looting or property theft.
Nowels mentioned one arrest on Saturday afternoon within a fire area, but noted the individual was detained on an active arrest warrant and was not suspected of looting.
Federal Aid and Multi-County Impact
Gov. Bob Ferguson has requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Although the request has not yet been granted, agency officials informed Ferguson on Monday morning that they are mobilizing resources for when funding is approved.
The request for federal aid is broad, covering the Spokane, Colville, and Yakima tribes, as well as six counties: Spokane, Stevens, Chelan, Yakima, Okanogan, and Ferry.
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